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Not a day goes by that Andy and Matt Hearon aren't hoping their father will call or show up at their front door. It has been more than seven weeks since they last saw him and it is a hope that they are not willing to give up.

Andy's and Matt's dad, Michael Edwin Hearon, 51, was last seen Aug. 23 leaving his residence on Bell Branch Road on an ATV. An extensive five-day search was conducted by authorities and emergency personnel, and his ATV was found on Aug. 26 -- but "Mike" Hearon was not located and no other clues to his disappearance have been found.

Both of his sons last heard from him on the Saturday that he disappeared. Andy said his dad called him about 9:30 in the morning to let him know that he was coming over to get a lawn mower they shared to mow his property in Happy Valley. Matt, 25, said he got a voice mail from his dad stating basically the same thing.

Andy, 26, said he passed his dad on Gateway Road as he was returning to his home that morning. His dad had the mower and was traveling toward East Lamar Alexander Parkway, probably heading toward Bell Branch Road.

"I didn't pick up on anything different, nothing in particular," Andy said about his dad's disposition that morning.

"He wasn't in a hurry," Matt added.

Matt and Andy said one of their dad's best friends also talked to him that morning, with no sense of anything being wrong.

Neighbors saw him

Neighbors on Bell Branch Road later told authorities they saw Mike Hearon around lunchtime pulling into his neighborhood. About 30 minutes later, two people reported seeing him on a 4-wheeler and said he waved as he drove down Bell Branch Road.

"We're pretty sure that was the last time anybody saw him or talked to him," Matt said.

Matt and Andy went on with their weekends and said it was not unusual to not talk to their dad over the weekend. At about 2 p.m. the following Sunday, they said they got a call from their grandmother -- their dad's mother.

"'Have you heard from your dad? I haven't heard from this weekend,'" Matt quoted his grandmother. "I wasn't really worried about it because if he is up there on the farm, you can't get a hold of him."

They said there was no cell phone coverage in the area, making it hard to reach Mike Hearon -- who worked outdoors a lot.

At about 8:30 a.m. the following Monday, their grandmother called again and said she still had not heard from her son.

Andy decided to check his dad's condo on Brown Court off Amerine Road -- where his dad stayed three or four nights a week to be close to work. Mike Hearon is a builder and both of his sons work with him as licensed contractors.

Andy and Matt said two of their dad's three vehicles, a car and a motorcycle, were still in the garage. His bed was made and the lights were off.

Their grandmother decided to go and check the Bell Branch Road residence, where their grandfather had seen Mike Hearon's truck earlier that weekend while passing through. She told Andy and Matt that his 4-wheeler was still there.

4-wheeler missing

"Gran called me back and said his truck was still up there and the mower was still attached and the lawn wasn't mowed," Matt said.

Andy and Matt immediately drove to the residence. They said the windows of their dad's truck were down, the doors were unlocked and Mike Hearon's keys, ID clip, money and cell phone were still in the vehicle. They also realized the 4-wheeler their grandmother had seen, was an old ATV and that another 4-wheeler was missing from the property.

"I kind of got a lump in my throat when I noticed the 4-wheeler wasn't there," Andy said.

Mike Hearon's truck was parked in a position that he would not have normally left it in, they said. His sons said that a bus parked on the property, and their dad always moved the truck before the bus came.

"We automatically assumed (at that point) that something had happened," Andy said.

"We assumed that if we found the 4-wheeler, we'd find him," Matt said.

Matt and Andy aired up a flat tire in the old 4-wheeler and began searching their dad's 100-acre property. They said they drove all of the ATV trails and checked the campground.

Around 3 or 4 p.m., Matt said he realized then that they needed to call authorities. He said he called the National Park Service who transferred him to the Blount County Sheriff's Office to file a missing person report.

ATV is found

Between 6 and 7 p.m., authorities began arriving at the residence. They talked to Mike Hearon's friends in the neighborhood and tried to pick up a scent with a K-9, but were unable to track him.

They agreed that members of the sheriff's office, park service, emergency personnel and the family would meet before daylight the next morning to search. In the meantime, it began to rain, and Andy and Matt said they knew that would cover the tracks.

The next day, Mike Hearon's ATV was found by a friend who just happened to be checking the area near Happy Valley Loop, about a mile from Hearon's house. Andy said it was found in a location that his dad did not frequently visit.

"Once they found it there, I knew whatever happened was not an accident," Matt said.

They said the 4-wheeler was found in a high gear on a steep hill and the ignition switch was left on -- which Andy and Matt said their dad never left on. There was no evidence found around the ATV, and if there was ever any evidence, it was probably washed away in the rain.

On the following Wednesday, volunteers were brought in for the search. Andy and Matt said they saw helicopters and cadaver dogs brought in, as well. On Friday, the sheriff's office made the decision to scale back the search after nothing was found and continue following leads in their investigation.

Andy and Matt said they now feel "helpless" and are not sure where to look for their dad. They said the sheriff's office has investigated some "points of interest," but nothing concrete has been found.

'Not depressed'

They both said that there are several rumors about their dad's disappearance, but none of them seem possible. They stressed that Mike Hearon was "not depressed" and they strongly believe that he was not suicidal.

"I'm almost 100 percent positive that it wasn't an accident," Matt added.

They said they are positive their dad did not get lost on the property, as he grew up there and worked for the National Park Service. They said neither of them knew of any enemies of their dad.

They said he is a social man who gets along with everybody and "enjoys life." They said he enjoys vacationing and riding 4-wheelers and motorcycles. Matt said that Mike Hearon is just as much of a friend to him and his brother as he is their father.

"He is just a good all-around guy," Andy said.

"That's what people know him for -- being lively," Matt said.

Andy and Matt said they feel like there is someone out there who knows something about their dad's disappearance, and they are pleading for anyone to come forward with information -- even if it doesn't seem relevant.

They asked for the community to "pray for the best and don't hold back information. Anything is helpful right now."

A $15,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the location of Mike Hearon. The sheriff's office offered $5,000 and an anonymous contribution of $10,000 was added.

Andy and Matt said the family wants to thank those who are donating for the cause, as well as all of the authorities, emergency personnel, volunteers and friends who have helped in the search for their father.

Anyone with any information on Hearon's disappearance is encouraged to call the Blount County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 273-5001, or the 24-hour Crime Hotline at 273-5200. To be eligible for any reward, individuals reporting information must be willing to give their name and contact information.