Emergency personnel, family friends, even strangers gathered this morning in the little town of Taunton, Minnesota to help search for Brandon Swanson.

Nancy Boogaard says, "We hear bits and pieces of what's going on and you just wanna help out." 

Brandon's dad was the last person to speak with him on his cell phone the night he disappeared.

Gary Peterson says, "He and his father had a good conversation for that 45 minutes, trying to locate each other." 

And that conversation may be the biggest clue to finding him. 

"I think what he heard was a disconnect and he said that he kinda likened the sound of slipping or something," Peterson said.

Because of that, volunteers focused their search efforts on the river areas and drainage ditches, trying to see if there was any sign of Brandon out there. 

"Anything...a cap, baseball cap, jacket, piece of jewelry, wallet, key, anything that would identify him," explained Peterson.

One problem is that Brandon was confused about where he was while talking to his dad on the phone. Searchers have been out several times in the last month, and still haven't found a trace of evidence. 

The volunteers may not find Brandon alive, but they say it's necessary to keep looking.

Sharon Root says, "because it matters and for another thing, I know Brandon and his family and his sister and it's a hard situation for them and I want to do what I can do for them, this is something you pray to God you never have to go through." 

They're still searching for closure.