SC father raising money to search Arizona desert for his missing 24-year-old son

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - A Columbia dad drove across the country to search for his missing 24-year-old son who disappeared from a job site in the desert.

Wednesday, he met with police to see if they would widen the search and interview more people.

They’re just hoping to find him alive.

Daniel Robinson loved Arizona, his dad said.

He moved there three years ago to study geology in the field.

He was last seen June 23 and his dad immediately drove from South Carolina to Arizona to search for him.

“The only thing I care about is finding my son,” David Robinson said. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to find him.”

The father said the last person to see his son in the desert was another field worker. That man told police it started raining and Daniel left the site.

According to police, his tire tracks show he went west into the desert -- where there is nothing -- instead of going east to the main road.

Buckeye Police in Arizona conducted aerial searches, but nothing turned up.

They’re considering it a search and rescue now.

Officials say no foul play is suspected.

WIS asked if Daniel could have run-away.

“That’s unlike Daniel,” his father said. “He’s especially close to his siblings and his mother and myself. We’ve never had a time since he was little where he would just run off and not say anything. He is an outgoing guy who loved to travel, but there was never a time when he took off and never mentioned anything to anybody.”

Police tried to get information from On-Star technology on Daniel’s blue Jeep Renegade, but there was no power to it, and his cell phone battery is dead.

They also registered Daniel on a national missing person database.

“I have yet to hear anything,” David Robinson said. “His vehicle hasn’t shown up on cameras at gas stations to ATMs to whatever. Nothing is showing up and that’s puzzling to me.”

His father said he can’t sleep and stays up all hours of the night thinking of different scenarios.

Daniel’s family hopes to raise money to conduct their own safe search of the desert.

Find all the information to donate by clicking or tapping here.

Daniel Robinson is described as a 5′8″ Black male who weighs 165 pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes, and is missing part of his right forearm, including his hand. He was last seen driving his blue 2017 Jeep Renegade.

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