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A cadet reported missing Friday -- along with his rifle -- from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point sparked a massive effort to locate him, with searchers continuing to comb the area in New York on Monday, officials said.
The cadet, who was only identified as a member of the Class of 2021, was last seen Friday around 5:30 p.m. on the grounds of West Point, which is located about 40 miles north of New York City. The cadet's M4 rifle also was reported missing, but officials do not believe the cadet has any magazines or ammunition in his possession.
"There is no indication the cadet poses a threat to the public, but he may be a danger to himself," the military said.
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The cadet was scheduled to participate in a military skills competition over the weekend but never showed up. Fellow cadets then began to "immediately search" for their missing teammate before military police were notified, triggering a probe of the military installation at 1 a.m. Saturday.
A cadet from the Class of 2021 was reported missing from West Point in New York. The cadet's M4 rifle was also reported missing. (iStock)
That search continued throughout the day and expanded to include officials from the New York State Police and the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
By Sunday, the search had expanded to the water, with the U.S. Coast Guard looking along the Hudson River's shoreline. New York State Police also conducted an aerial sweep of the area with a "Forward-Looking Infrared Radar" on Sunday in addition to the utilization of K-9 units and drones.
"I want to thank the local and state law enforcement agencies and emergency services for their tireless support," Lt. Gen. Darryl Williams, the superintendent of West Point, said in a statement. "We will continue to search with all means possible, on and off West Point. Safely locating the cadet remains our focus and number one priority."
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The military academy is operating under normal conditions with an "increased force protection status."
"We have increased Military Police patrols at sporting events and across the academy as a precautionary measure and to assist in safely locating the missing cadet," the military said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the West Point Military Police at 845-938-3333.
Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.
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