Misty and Dan Morrissey speak to the media near Meyers Lake where their daughter Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, disappeared last Friday, Tuesday, July 17, 2012, in Evansdale, Iowa. The girls' bikes were found Friday afternoon near a bike trail at the edge of the lake. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Misty and Dan Morrissey speak to the media near Meyers Lake where their daughter Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, disappeared last Friday, Tuesday, July 17, 2012, in Evansdale, Iowa. The girls' bikes were found Friday afternoon near a bike trail at the edge of the lake. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
This combo made from undated photos provided by Black Hawk County police shows cousins Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, left, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, who have been missing since Friday afternoon, July 13, 2012. The girls were last seen Friday afternoon leaving their grandmother's house. (AP Photo/Black Hawk County Police via Waterloo Courier)
Law enforcement authorities collect possible evidence near Meyers Lake where Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, disappeared last Friday, Tuesday, July 17, 2012, in Evansdale, Iowa. The girls' bikes were found Friday afternoon near a bike trail at the edge of the lake. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Law enforcement authorities in kayaks search Meyers Lake where Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, disappeared last Friday, Tuesday, July 17, 2012, in Evansdale, Iowa. The girls' bikes were found Friday afternoon near a bike trail at the edge of the lake. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Law enforcement authorities look for possible evidence at Meyers Lake where Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, disappeared last Friday, Tuesday, July 17, 2012, in Evansdale, Iowa. The girls' bikes were found Friday afternoon near a bike trail at the edge of the lake. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
EVANSDALE, Iowa (AP) ? Authorities searching for two young cousins drained an Iowa lake Tuesday after FBI dogs detected the girls' scents near where their bicycles were found four days earlier, heightening suspicion from family members that they might have been abducted.
FBI spokeswoman Sandy Breault said the reaction from the dogs Monday night indicated a "strong possibility" the girls had been at the lake, less than a mile from their grandmother's house where they were last reported seen Friday. However, Breault said because there were no reported sightings, authorities couldn't be certain.
Chief Deputy Rick Abben of the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office said the case was still considered a missing persons investigation. The decision to drain the lake was made to rule out that the girls are not in the water, he said. Once that's done, all resources can be used elsewhere.
Officers slowly paddled around the lake in kayaks on Tuesday morning. A group of three officers walking along the southeast shoreline stopped to study something. An officer with gloves and an evidence bag picked up an object and took it back to a patrol car sitting along the bank.
Officials didn't identify the object or even confirm whether it was related to the search for Elizabeth Collins, 8, and Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, but it was a rare sign of activity in a massive search that has produced few if any significant leads.
"I don't think that they're in the lake not at all but it is just like a dead end as far as we know so far," said Dan Morrissey, Lyric's father. "We've never gone through anything like this. It's hard enough just to get up and deal with the reality that your daughter is gone."
Tammy Brousseau, 48, an aunt to both girls, said all the signs were pointing to a stranger ? possibility a pedophile ? abducting them from the area near the lake where their bikes were found.
Brousseau said that just last week she taught Lyric how to "save someone if they went limp in the water." She said she also taught both girls how to "drop to the ground and fight" if someone tried to abduct them.
Lyric's parents said they didn't suspect a drowning either, noting the girls' swimming abilities and the fact that no shoes were recovered on the bank of the lake.
"The area where the bikes were found is fenced on both sides, and it is right where maintenance gate is it is a spot that looks to me like a trap," Dan Morrissey said. "Somebody could have just come along right then or followed them down it would have been the worst spot to be in right there."
At least 30 FBI investigators joined the search for the girls, who were last reported seen Friday afternoon leaving their grandmother's house in Evansdale. Their bicycles and Elizabeth's purse were found later that day near a bike trail at the edge of Meyers Lake.
Breault said the search has been slowed because of the time required to drain the lake. The draining began Monday afternoon and could take up to three days. But local officials said the draining likely will go faster because of the already low level of the lake and the Cedar River into which it drains.
A massive sweep of the area that drew hundreds of volunteers over the weekend failed to find any evidence. Authorities previously dredged the lake and have been interviewing family, friends and registered sex offenders who live in the area.
Abben said that local, state and federal officials have been "grasping for straws" in the search. A tip line turned up numerous reports of articles of clothing that had been found, but none belonged to the girls. He said it was as if they had just disappeared.
Lyric's mother, Misty Morrissey, said the family members were trying to stay as upbeat as possible considering the circumstances.
"We're pretty emotional, pretty sad, trying to remain positive and trying to hold on to our faith and know that God is still in control and we're going to find a resolution to this," she said.
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Associated Press writer Ryan J. Foley contributed to this report from Iowa City and writer Grant Schulte contributed from Lincoln, Neb.
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