Missing teen's family says they won't leave

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) - The search may be called off, but family members of a missing teen say they're not giving up hope or going home to New York just yet.

Brittanee Drexel, 17, was vacationing in Myrtle Beach when she disappeared on April 25. A tip led Myrtle Beach Police and two community groups - the CUE Center for Missing Persons and the Laura Recovery Center - to Georgetown County, but after days of searching with no results, volunteers stopped the active search.

Now, the family says they want to stay in the area to search, but they only have a place to stay until Friday. The family says that if you want to help, you can by visiting www.helpfindbrittanee.com.

The Drexel family says it's been a rough weekend for them. Brittanee missed her high school prom on Saturday, and on Sunday, Brittanee's mom, Dawn Drexel, spent Mother's Day without her daughter, and without her other children who are still in New York.

"I do miss them. I want them here with me, as much as I want Brittanee with me," Dawn Drexel explained. "They're asking, 'Did you find Brittanee yet?' I have to tell them no, and that we're still looking for her."

The family says they hope to stay in the Myrtle Beach area until they are able to return home with Brittanee.

Posted by Jeremy Turnage