'Baby' the swan is missing from Fort Patrick Henry Lake

KINGSPORT — Three weeks ago a newcomer arrived in town, fresh from Florida.Her name is Baby. She rode from Florida in the back of a pickup truck and her first night in town she was kept in a pin. She's about two years old.And now she's gone.Joe Carey, the man who bought and brought Baby the swan to town is asking for help in locating Baby."We just want to know if she's OK,' Carey told the Times News this week, explaining he and neighbors have made countless efforts comb their lakeside neighborhood for Baby. Or evidence of Baby.Carey lives on Pitt Road alongside Fort Patrick Henry Lake's beginning point downstream from Boone Dam."There had been a swan on the lake around here for about 20 years," Carey said. "He passed away a couple of years ago. My girlfriend and I talked about replacing it."Last month Carey was about to head home from Florida and his girlfriend asked if he could swing by and buy a swan she'd located for sale."I did and the first night here we kept her on ground," Carey said. "They told us to take our time introducing her to the lake."Not long after Baby was released into the lake, she went missing.Carey said he and his girlfriend thought the swan wouldn't wander far. The lake is "closed," stretching 10 miles between Fort Patrick Henry Dam and Boone Dam, according to the Tennessee Valley Authority.And Baby's wings had been pinioned, preventing flight."They're easy to catch on land, but they move fast on the water," Carey said. "We thought we would be able to locate her if she went away too far. That has not been the case. We've made an enclosure around our dock and put food out hoping to get her back and have a way to keep her close."If you've seen Baby or have any information to help locate her, Carey asks that you contact him at 914-772-2812.