Humans' impact on the Earth’s surface can take a number of different forms, including cities and towns, to natural systems modification.
While humanity is said to have traveled the world and conquered the lands and the waters, it is said that only 15% of the Earth has actually been modified by humans.
A small number. But even within that, things can still disappear and remained unnoticed for years, or even decades.
And among the many things that went missing, were 18-year-old Erin Foster and 17-year-old Jeremy Bechtel.
The two teens from Tennessee, U.S., disappeared on April 2020, according to police's reports.
And this time, a scuba-diving YouTuber managed to find the car the two teens were in when they were missing.
Jeremy Beau Sides, whose YouTube channel is called 'Exploring with the Nug', said that he stumbled upon the cold case while looking through a missing persons database.
"When I saw two teens went missing and vanished in a car, that really stood out to me," Sides said. "When I looked at the town where they were last seen, I saw that a big river ran through it. That just told me to go."
Sides grabbed his scuba-diving gear and left for the county seat of White County, Tennessee.
Sides who works alone, failed to find what he wanted to find.
But since he documented his search, his attempt caught the attention of White County Sheriff Steve Page in late November, after a member of one of the missing teen saw it. It was Page who contacted Sides, and suggested him to look at a different location, which is alongside the Calfkiller River.
Page made the plea because his department didn't have access to the same advanced technology used by Sides.
Sides who volunteered his services to the Foster and Bechtel families, brought his gear to the location Page suggested, and started looking.
And that's where he made the discovery.
"Whoa, oh OK, that's 100% a car in front of my face," he said while staring at the sonar. "I've been looking all day, and I finally found a car."
Sides then contacted the authorities at White County, which then dispatched a team to the location.
Members of the police team "arrived on the scene within minutes to investigate, which led to the confirmed match of the vehicle," police said.
The authorities confirmed that the car Sides found does match the one driven by Foster and Bechtel, based on the car's model and its license plate. The authorities also confirmed that inside the car, human remains were found.
The discovery was exciting, but "sad because that means two teenagers have passed away," Sides said, who hoped that his discovery could help bring some peace to the missing teens' families.
"Ultimately, I just want to help," he said.
Major John Meadows, the lead investigator in the case, was classmates with the two teens.
"It's very humbling to be able to be a part of something that is going to bring so much closure to so many families," he said.
Erin Foster and Jeremy Bechtel were last seen on April 3, 2000, after leaving Foster’s home. The two attended a party, and later than night, were seen together in her car, a black Pontiac Grand Am.
The discovery here has been described as the end of one of the most unusual disappearances in the history of Tennessee.
"I give Jeremy the credit for finding that car," Sheriff Steve Page said.
"All I did was kind of point him in the right direction, and he got in the water and found them. It's so good to be able to bring closure to these families."
Sides' dedication and innovative approach to solving cold cases have not only brought solace to grieving families but have also highlighted the impact that determined individuals can have in seeking justice.
