2023 Stock Images of Colorado City Police Department Patrol Cars | Photo Credit: Colorado City Police Department, St. George News
ST. George — After a 90-minute search, the missing five-year-old boy was found unharmed in a ravine near Hildale.
The boy wandered away from a family gathering around 6:19 p.m. Thursday, said Lieutenant Mark Gower of the Hildale Police Department, Colorado.
“And he just walked away. I was playing with friends and acquaintances and got separated and decided to walk up the canyon there,” he said.
Gower told The St. George News that he was found unharmed about 90 minutes later by a family member who chanced upon him while driving up the river bed.
“He seemed fine,” he said. “He drank some water. I think the heat made him thirsty, but he didn’t need any treatment.
Gower said multiple personnel were searching, including officers from the Colorado Hildale Police Department and Fire Department Search and Rescue Team and a Mojave County Sheriff’s Department employee with a dog in case they needed to track down the child. He was sent inside.
A Washington County Sheriff’s search and rescue team and a Department of Public Safety helicopter were on standby, and the plane was reportedly ready to take off when the boy was safely found.
“In this situation, we are all united and I am grateful that the public security agencies are working so well together and working together so well,” Gower said. “Thank you to everyone who has reached out to us. We want to find missing children as soon as possible, especially before dark.”
Copyright The St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, All rights reserved.
Alisha Rundgren joins the St. George News team in 2022. She started her career as a freelancer, writing resource articles for families of children with disabilities. She also covers topics such as astronomy, recreation, and nature. A native of Nevada, Alisha fell in love with Utah as soon as she moved to Cedar City. In her free time she enjoys walking through Utah’s beautiful landscapes and taking pictures, wrapping herself in a blanket and playing video games with her, and reading books.