3 Year old - Joshua Childers, Arcadia, MO.-Missing since 5/04/09 (FOUND ALIVE)

[pink angel]

Story Updated: May 5, 2009
ARCADIA, Mo. (AP) - A small tennis shoe found nearly one mile from the southeast Missouri mobile home where a toddler went missing is giving searchers hope they will find the boy alive.

Three-year-old Joshua Childers wandered away from his home about 11:30 a.m. Monday. Police were called 45 minutes later, and a frantic search began that lasted through the night and into Tuesday.

Madison County Sheriff David Lewis says a searcher found a tennis shoe about one mile from the home Monday evening. Searchers have narrowed their focus to that area.

The mobile home sits in a rural, rugged area. The Missouri Water Patrol is searching three ponds near the home, and the Highway Patrol was searching by air.

Meanwhile, rescue crews from throughout the region were joined by hundreds of volunteers.

Why has NO Amber Alert been issued? The Amber Alert system needs to be changed. It's flawed!

I can't even find a picture of him yet, still searching!

http://www.kspr.com/news/local/44377912.html
Edit to add date to subject

[pink angel]

klaas, he went missing yesterday. May 4th. Can you edit that in the title? TIA!

Edit-Date 5/04/09 added

[cookie]

was listening to this story on NG...there was a picture of him on there ...

[pink angel]

http://www.fox2now.com/ktvi-missing-three-year-old-madison-050409-video,0,1645472.worldnowvideo

good video.

Search continues for missing 3-year-old
Advertisement

By JIM SALTER
Associated Press Writer
Published: Tuesday, May 5, 2009 4:35 PM CDT
ARCADIA, Mo. (AP) - Rescue crews and volunteers frantically trying to find a 3-year-old boy missing for more than a day narrowed their search Tuesday to an area where one of the toddler's tennis shoes was found.

Joshua Childers wandered away from his home about 11:30 a.m. Monday. Police were called 45 minutes later. A search began that lasted through the night and into Tuesday. By Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of volunteers who showed up to help were mostly watching and waiting because so many professional emergency workers were assisting.

The best clue so far came Monday evening when a searcher found a tennis shoe. Joshua's parents confirmed he was wearing the shoe when he slipped away from home.

Madison County Sheriff David Lewis said the shoe was found nearly a mile from the family's mobile home that sits along rough, rural terrain in the Mark Twain National Forest. Rescue crews fanned out in the area where the shoe was discovered.

Lewis was confident the 35-pound boy was still alive.

“I don't know why he wouldn't be,” Lewis said. “It wasn't that cold last night.”

The FBI was helping with the search. So was the Missouri State Highway Patrol, searching by air, and the Missouri State Water Patrol, who brought in divers to check three small ponds within a mile or so from the boy's home. Police dogs sniffed through the dense woods surrounding the home.

Lewis said it would be easy for a small boy to get lost in those woods.

“You can't see 20 yards in front of you there,” he said. “This is very rugged terrain, very rough, with thick underbrush.”

Joshua's father works an overnight shift and was home sleeping on Monday morning. His mother was watching the child but was briefly distracted by a phone call. That's when the boy got out, wearing a dark blue and green T-shirt, pull-up diaper and tennis shoes.

The parents searched for about 45 minutes before calling police. It wasn't long before hundreds of volunteers showed up to help - some on horses, some on donkeys, some on all-terrain vehicles or with their own dogs to help.

“It hits pretty close to home,” said Randy Johnson, 31, of nearby Bismarck, a corrections officer at a prison. “When I heard about it I told my wife I had to come down here and do something.”

In fact, it was perhaps too many people. Lewis decided to send volunteers out only in small groups, in part to keep them from getting lost or hurt, and partly to make sure he kept people fresh in case the search dragged on for days.

The weather was generally cooperative: Conditions were dry, and the temperature dipped only into the 50s overnight.

Lewis said the boy's father was among those searching the woods. The mother was waiting at home, in case the child returned.

Asked how they're holding up, the sheriff said, “They look a little dazed, actually.”
http://www.**/articles/2009/05/05/news_state/240state34missing.txt

[pink angel]

[pink angel]

Thank you Muffy Bee!

I feel for the parents. Dad working nights, mom distracted on the phone...and the little guy wanders outside. What a nightmare.

He's adorable.

I fear the worst, with the shoe being found.

I can't see the little guy wandering a mile away on his own though.

[pink angel]

Search Continues for Missing Boy

Wednesday, May 6, 2009 @04:34am CST

(Arcadia, MO) -- Authorities in southeast Missouri are following leads in the search for a missing boy.

Volunteers are out searching for any signs of little Joshua Childers.

The 3-year-old disappeared around noon Monday from his home near Arcadia, Missouri.

The sheriff says the boy walked out his back door.
His parents noticed he was gone about five minutes later.   

Teams have been searching on land and in the water.
Family members haven't given up hope just yet.

The Madison County Sheriff's Department says more technical equipment is on its way to help in the search.

http://ozarksfirst.com/content/fulltext/?cid=145832

[pink angel]

University of Missouri Extension office will be coordinating volunteers to help search for Joshua Childers. Please call the extension office if you would like to help. They search needs to be coordinated so PLEASE call 573-783-3303  instead of heading to County Road 518. The shifts will be for 9 hours each.

If you need more information call 573-783-3303.

[pink angel]

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=174429&catid=3

More volunteers needed.

[Tracygirl]

I hope they bring in those planes with the...what are they? they mark a heat source or something. They said the land around the area is thick with brush and maybe be hard to find him. Do you know if they are using them?

Poor parents...Prayers to them to keep strong and positive that their little boy will come home soon.

[pink angel]

Tracygirl I know they have helicopters in the air and the news story I saw earlier said that more technical equipment was being brought in.

I don't know if that equipment is air, ground or for water searches though. I imagine they have been using heat seeking equipment by air. It's been cool but not cold at night. 50's.

It's been three days though. He can't go much longer without water being so little.

[klaasend]

http://www.kmov.com/topstories/stories/kmov-stlouis-news-090501-missing-3yearold.1cb78349.html

Breaking News: Missing 3-year-old found alive

05:18 PM CDT on Wednesday, May 6, 2009


Raw Video: Joshua found alive

View photos from the scene

Watch raw video from the search

Volunteer gets emotional about missing boy


ST. LOUIS (AP/KMOV) – The 3-year-old boy who has been missing since Monday was found alive.



 

Joshua Childers

Authorities said Joshua Childers was found alive and well Wednesday afternoon and was taken to a hospital in Iron County. News 4 was told he was responsive and wondering where his shoes were.


He disappeared around 11:30 a.m. Monday from his family's mobile home near Arcadia, about 100 miles southwest of St. Louis. Police said Joshua's dad works nights and was asleep at the time, and the boy's mother was on the telephone.


Hundreds of volunteers helped search the wooded land around his home.

[klaasend]

Wonderful news!

[Edward]

God bless all the people that stepped up and did this search ..

[pink angel]

OMG! I am crying happy tears!

Wahoo!!!!! Finally some good news.

He was wondering where his shoes were. Bless his heart! LOL!

Thank you god! Bless all those hundreds of volunteers and LE and search groups that didn't give up on this baby.

He walked FAR for a little guy huh? Tough cookie!

I can't wait to see the video.

[pink angel]

I wonder if they found him curled up asleep. Kids that age sleep 12 hours or more a day. Him being without water and food, he probably slept even more. He is so lucky he didn't run into a wild animal or fall into one of those ponds.

He was being watched over from above for sure!


Thank you klaas for posting the article.

[cookie]

what awesome news!!!
I heard it on HLN and came rushing in to tell everyone and of course the monkeys were on top of things and already posted it!
I love this day!! Miracles happen every single day!!!!! 

[Tracygirl]

http://www.kmov.com/topstories/stories/kmov-stlouis-news-090501-missing-3yearold.1cb78349.html

Breaking News: Missing 3-year-old found alive

05:18 PM CDT on Wednesday, May 6, 2009


Raw Video: Joshua found alive

View photos from the scene

Watch raw video from the search

Volunteer gets emotional about missing boy


ST. LOUIS (AP/KMOV) – The 3-year-old boy who has been missing since Monday was found alive.



 

Joshua Childers

Authorities said Joshua Childers was found alive and well Wednesday afternoon and was taken to a hospital in Iron County. News 4 was told he was responsive and wondering where his shoes were.


He disappeared around 11:30 a.m. Monday from his family's mobile home near Arcadia, about 100 miles southwest of St. Louis. Police said Joshua's dad works nights and was asleep at the time, and the boy's mother was on the telephone.


Hundreds of volunteers helped search the wooded land around his home.

 
What wonderful news! So glad he was found and is safe! Whew!!!

[cookie]

I just can't explain the joy that I feel right now! it is so wonderful to hear good news for a change instead of the bad news that we usually hear...
NG is talking about it now....Bless all of the volunteers who went out there to look for this child...
he was found 3 miles away from his home!

[Deenie]

Josh is HOME 
That is the Best News EVER !!! Now his parents can breathe ..