The family of a Tamaqua man, who has been missing for almost a decade, hasn’t given up on finding him.

They continue to seek information on what happened to Jesse Farber, and also plan to hold an online event Sunday to help raise awareness for all missing people.

Farber disappeared on Aug. 11, 2015, shortly after a frantic phone call for help.

“It is coming up on nine years now since Jesse went missing, and we are desperate for any help we can get,” said Rachel Carroll, the mother of his children. “I reach out to anyone who is willing to hear Jesse’s story. I have had a lot of help from many people, organizations, and social media, but still no answers. I’m so grateful for the help I’ve received from others who take time out of their lives to help me find Jesse.”

Farber was last seen around 7:20 p.m. when he was walking on the “S curves” toward Tamaqua from the Lewistown Valley.

His longtime friend, Alma Hartwell, spotted Farber as he drove in the opposite direction.

“Jesse was walking on the side of the road, near the guard rail and was carrying a bookbag,” Hartwell recalled.

He was never seen again.

Carroll received a call from Farber around 8:43 p.m.

She remembered him saying, “to bring guns. I’m in a tree and 10 to 11 coyotes are after me. My phone is about to die.”

He also told her that he was on the mountain behind the Tamaqua High School. Shortly thereafter, he said he was on the mountain behind the Tamaqua Elementary School, then changed again to say it was the mountain by the high school.

At that point, the phone died, and Farber was never heard from again.

Carroll searched for Farber for about 2.5 hours and when she came up empty-handed, she phoned Tamaqua police.

“I never imagined that Jesse wouldn’t be found immediately. I figured he got turned around in the woods somehow. I thought I would go pick him up, and we could go home and everything would be OK,” Carroll said.

She said she simply thought something had “spooked” him in the woods.

“But as the days passed and there was still no sign of Jesse, that phone call really haunted me,” Carroll said. “If I could describe it, I would say he sounded scared to death.”

Search crews combed the woods and mountains for signs of Farber, but came up empty-handed.

On the anniversary of his disappearance, Carroll and Farber’s family are having a Facebook event called “Light the Way for the Missing.” Individuals can join by visiting the “Finding Jesse Farber” Facebook page.

The family said the event is to help spread awareness for missing loved ones.

“We ask everyone to show support by lighting a candle, have a campfire, light a porch light, any kind of light. If you are comfortable, post a photo of your light on the event page. This will help keep all the missing remembered in our area and everywhere,” Carroll said.

Tamaua Police Chief Michael Hobbs said anyone with information on Farber’s disappearance should call Tamaqua police.

Farber’s case was highlighted recently by the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers.