Surveillance video captured a missing Florida teen walking out of her family’s home in the dead of night – before she seemingly vanished into thin air.
Sophia Cover, 16, was reported missing quickly after the puzzling footage showed her leaving the family home in Golden Gate Estates, about 40 miles south of Fort Myers, at around 12:45 a.m. on July 31 – without explanation, her dad told ABC affiliate Gulf Coast News Now.
Her father, Richard Cover, said he realized she was missing when he heard the dogs whimpering.
Sophia Veronica Cover, 16, went missing after she was last seen leaving her home in Golden Gate Estates on Friday, July 31. (Jordan Rice) Collier County Sheriff’s Office
Missing Sophia Cover, 16, is seen on a surveillance camera leaving her Florida home before vanishing. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZzgS0X4XK0) Gulf Coast News
She has been missing since she left her home in Golden Gate Estates on July 31. Gulf Coast News
“So the dogs whine…I walk around, go through the pool bathroom door, and that’s unlocked. And then I walk into her bedroom, and she’s nowhere to be found,” he told the outlet.
As the search for his daughter entered its sixth day on Thursday, Cover described feeling helpless.
“She’s my buddy. I thought I wasn’t going to cry, man,” he said while growing emotional in the interview.
The family, who moved to the community just four months ago, refuses to believe Sophia would run away.
“There is no way that she’s going and leaving, putting me through this for five days. There’s no way. I don’t care what the reason is,” Cover insisted – and then issued a heart-wrenching message to his daughter.
“Everybody is looking for you. And, if you’re out there on your own, it’s really easy to come home. You can go to any police officer. You can go to any adult that is safe,” the anguished father said.
Start your day with all you need to know
Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
Thanks for signing up!
Cover has begun a search effort for his daughter, both online and in the community, hoping for clues into her mysterious disappearance.
Collier County authorities have reportedly launched a multi-agency investigation into the case.
Deputies are probing all leads they receive about the girl’s potential whereabouts, a spokesperson for the Collier County Sheriff’s Office told The Post Friday.
Sophia is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall and 115 pounds, with brown eyes and long brown hair.