Piano Guys: ‘All is Not Lost’ as search is discontinued

PORTLAND, Oregon — Search and rescue officials have suspended the search for 21-year-old Anna Schmidt, the daughter of Utah musician Jon Schmidt of The Piano Guys.

“Search efforts will resume in the event Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue coordinators establish credible leads,” the Portland Police Bureau said in a statement.

Schmidt was reported missing Oct. 19. She was last seen by her roommate on Oct. 16 and police found her car in the Columbia River Gorge area near Portland.

Schmidt’s family said she is an avid hiker and they believe she went off on her own.

The Piano Guys issued the following statement Thursday morning:

We’ve been so touched by the outpouring of love and support from everyone — the countless prayers, the social media sharing, the hundreds of volunteers at the rescue site, food donated by local vendors — the unselfish sacrifice of so many on behalf of Jon and his family. People are good. So good. As tragic as these events are, they prove that despite how the media and politics paint our world, the color of love and the human heart shine through everlastingly more vivid. No one should be a stranger when in dire need. We are all family.

We wish we had better news. We were not able to find Annie. The search is being discontinued at this time in consideration of the health and well-being of everyone involved.

But all is not lost. Annie’s Mother, Michelle, wrote a beautiful post that we’d like to share. It summarizes all our feelings as we leave the search site.

“I desire for everyone to know, who has exercised their faith in behalf of our family, your faith has not gone unanswered. We have been literally carried and sustained through day after day. We have felt a calm and a peace beyond ourselves that have enabled us to get up each morning and function and do what needs to be done that day to continue our efforts to find our daughter. We know that this is a result of your prayers. Thank you (times a million).

We have been unable to find our sweet daughter’s body at this time. But these things we know. We know that Heavenly Father has heard the countless prayers and combined faith exercised by people literally all over the world. We know He has heard us, and if He choses to not show us where to find her, then we trust that there is a purpose in this. We know we are in His hands. We know He loves us and everyone who has reached out in such kindness and support. We can feel peace in putting our lives in His hands and pray that His purposes will be fulfilled in this whole experience.”