COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Almost a week after he mysteriously disappeared from a film shoot in the rugged Idaho backcountry, police are scaling back the search for 26-year-old Terrence Woods of Prince George's County.
Idaho County Sheriff Doug Giddigs told WUSA9 that the Woods' parents aided in the search Thursday, but police will be "cutting way back" after nightfall.
Woods disappeared last Friday. Police said he was part of a dozen-person production crew that just completed a shoot near Penman Mine, about 250 miles north of Boise.
Police interviewed another member of the crew who saw Woods drop his two-way radio and run down a steep hill.
"We don't know why he ran," said Giddings, adding that others on the film crew shouted for him to stop. "Our only concern is where he is now and we just don't know."
Search crews have been hampered by freezing, snowy weather. Conditions improved Thursday, allowing Air Force helicopters to use infrared cameras to search for Woods.
Woods was working for production company Raw TV, which produces shows for Discovery.
Family and friends are beside themselves, saying the story does not match up with the driven filmmaker they know.
After attending Flowers High School in Springdale, Woods graduated from The University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism in 2013. Former professors said Woods was a bright student, passionate about visual storytelling.
"It's shocking," said Josh Davidsburg, who taught Woods in his TV news reporting class. "I've heard from some of his classmates and everybody is scared."
Police are also searching for a woman who disappeared about 40 miles away, but they do not believe the two cases are connected.
"This is a tough one," said Giddings. "It's really weird."
