EL DORADO, KS — What began as a brief errand to purchase AA batteries for a headlamp has entered its seventh consecutive hour, as 44-year-old Mark Crewson remains somewhere inside the 82,000-square-foot Cabela's in Wichita, unreachable by phone and showing no signs of returning to his vehicle.

Crewson's wife, Linda, says she first became concerned around hour three. "He texted 'be right out' at 11:15. It's now 4:30. His truck is still in the parking lot. I can only assume he's been absorbed."

A search party consisting of Linda, their two children, and family friend Don Shepherd entered the store at approximately 3:00 p.m. and immediately split up to cover more ground. As of press time, they have located Crewson's jacket draped over a kayak display but have not found the man himself.

"He does this every single time," Linda said, scanning the gun library with binoculars she grabbed off a shelf. "We went in for a cooler once and I found him three hours later in the bargain cave holding a pair of waders he'll never use. He doesn't even wade."

Store surveillance footage obtained by The Decoy shows Crewson entering the battery aisle at 10:07 a.m., selecting a pack of Duracells, then making what security described as "a fatal left turn" toward the fishing department.

"Losing husbands in the store is extremely common," said Cabela's customer experience manager Jennifer Holt. "We've considered putting GPS trackers on the shopping carts, but legally it gets complicated."

Linda has stationed their son, Colton, 16, near the exit with instructions to "tackle him if necessary." Colton, however, has also been missing for approximately 40 minutes and was last seen heading toward the ammunition counter.

"I'm going to the car," Linda announced at 5:15. "If he's not out by dark, he sleeps here."

At press time, Crewson had been spotted in the aquarium viewing area, sitting on a bench, eating trail mix, and reportedly "looking real peaceful."