Searchers are combing country roads and woods in Summit and Clearfield townships for a mentally impaired man who this morning wandered away from a group home at 120 Kaiser Road, Summit Township.

Mark Richard Ryan, 23, who weighs 176 pounds and is 5 foot, 10 inches tall, with brown hair and brown eyes, was last seen at about 6:30 a.m. on Geibel Road wearing baggy jeans and a black Ben Roethlisberger T-shirt.

Lt. David Barry of the Herman Volunteer Fire Department, who is serving as incident commander, said workers at the home, run by Valley Community Services, called 911 at about 8:30 a.m. to report Ryan's disappearance.

At noon, more than 30 volunteer firefighters from Herman, Lick Hill, East Butler, Saxonburg, Worthington and Oneida Valley departments, plus StatMedivac and neighbors, were searching the woods near the home.

Bill Jones, Valley Community Services executive director from Mount Pleasant, said there is not much he can say about Ryan or the search because of federal privacy laws, but that he is "very grateful for everyone who is searching."

Barry is hoping that additional helicopters can join the search as cloud cover clears and bloodhounds from Westmoreland County are being called to the scene to join a state police search and rescue dog already there.

Barry said that if Ryan is not found by early afternoon, he and the state police will reassess the search process.

Ryan's parents and grandparents had been at the group home, but left in case Ryan is trying to get to a house or a location that he knows.