CHAMBERS COUNTY, Texas -- Searchers set out in Chambers County Sunday, looking for victims of Hurricane Ike.   

The team, consisting of seven men and one dog, spent the day walking in a zigzag pattern through the debris fields in the county's marshland.

"We know that anyone that was on Gilchrist or Crystal Beach could be here," said Aaron Reed, a searcher from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Leading the team was Detective Mark Holmes of the Port Arthur Police Department and his cadaver dog, Jack. The two volunteered their expertise in search and recovery.

"We try to use past experience and what we know works best for the dog," said Holmes.   

There are 44 massive debris fields in the area, and on Sunday they covered just one of them.  Throughout the fields are massive piles of junk that contain the reminders of everyday life, such as a child's toy, a lawn chair and pictures that have seen better times.

The field is spread out over 80 square miles and has to be painstakingly searched a half a mile at a time. It is slow and dangerous work.

"You have to watch for nails sticking up everywhere and watch for snakes. You've got to be careful where you step," said Brad Moon, Chambers County Sheriff’s Deputy.

The searchers hoped to find something to help bring closure to the families of the missing, but they did not uncover any bodies.

"If it was one of my loved ones, I'd have to be able to have closure and find the victim. This way I could have at least a funeral and say good bye," said Holmes.

The search will continue next week.