Rae 'Sweetie' Ferryman is visibly worried.

The petite woman stands amid large emergency vehicles and watches while police and ATVs climb a steep dirt road leading to Sharp Mountain.She tries to make sense of it all.Her eyes well up with tears as she talks about her missing grandson."He has a job, plus he has two children," she says.But nobody has heard from him in two days, and such behavior is out of character for Jesse Farber, 29, missing since Tuesday.Search teams comb both sides of what is sometimes called South Mountain. It's a rugged rise on the south side of Tamaqua. The terrain towers over the town and is dangerously riddled with deep mine shafts. The mountain stretches from Tamaqua to Walker Township and includes two steep ridges and valleys.The last contact made by Farber, who also goes by the name Jesse Rex, was a cellphone call to his girlfriend, Rachel Carroll, in which he sounded frantic and needing help, say family members."It was only a couple of seconds," Carroll says. "He was very despondent."He spoke of having climbed a 0tree and said he heard coyotes. But his cell phone battery was dying.And that marked the end of any contact with Farber.Frantic, Carroll hiked the mountain trying to find him, as did Farber's brother.Possible intentionsSome family members believe Farber was trying to hike over the mountain to visit his grandmother, Rae Ferryman, who lives on Valley Road in New England Valley.Farber's mother, Norma Fritz of Jim Thorpe, says Farber is very familiar with the mountain.In fact, all four of her sons often hiked and camped there, even as children."They were like little Indians," she remarks.Fritz knows her son well. She sizes up the situation."Jesse would never hurt himself," she says. "He's either trying to be alone or he got hurt."Family members are worried sick."His phone went dead Tuesday night. He'd never leave that phone anywhere. I had just taken him to buy it," says Ferryman.During the initial phase of the search, ground teams search paths, valleys and hunting cabins.Hobbyist Andy Leibenguth deploys his DJI Phantom drone to perform repeated passes over the mountain's north face.By 1 p.m., the search party expands to include a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter, plus ground support including Northeast Search and Rescue based in Monroe County, Pocono Search and Rescue K-9 Unit, the Tamaqua Fire Department and Tamaqua Rescue Squad. More than 50 are taking part."We'll see what turns up with the search from the New England Valley side," says Tamaqua Police Chief Rick Weaver at 2 p.m. "They're using a dog on that side."Police say Farber stands 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie and carrying a camo-style backpack.By midafternoon, search parties locate a backpack. But it's orange and black and doesn't match the one owned by Farber.Police pitch in with their own private equipment.Weaver takes part in the search using his Polaris ATV. Similarly, Corporal Henry Woods used his Polaris Sportsman four-wheeler to navigate the rocky paths of Sharp Mountain.The rise is unforgiving. Heavily wooded, deep, thick brush and miles of endless tree cover."You just can't see anything up there," says Tom Hartz Jr., Tamaqua fire chief.Some even question if Farber is there.There's talk that he might be on the opposite side of the valley, high up on Locust Mountain.By 7 p.m. the day seems endless under a relentless, hot sun.Searchers stayed on-site until 8:30 p.m. and planned to revisit the search today.They'll try to pinpoint Farber's last known location. With more accurate information perhaps they can search more on Saturday, they say.But for now, they come up empty.Jesse Farber is out there.Somewhere.But so far, not a trace.