First responders in Wright City helped to bring a runaway child back to his family on July 29. 

According to Wright City Police Lieutenant Aaron Sutton, the 10-year-old, who was diagnosed with autism, had run into a cornfield after an interaction with some other neighborhood kids. 

After about 20 minutes of searching, the mother decided to call 911 for additional help. 

The Wright City Police Department, Fire Protection District, Warren County Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol responded with drones and K-9 units on standby. 

Thankfully, after roughly two hours of searching, the boy was found in a neighborhood yard. 

While the search was successful, Sutton thought it was a good opportunity to remind families to be prepared, should they find themselves in a similar situation.

Sutton suggested that for families with an individual that may be prone to getting lost or going missing, they should look into the Care Trak Program. 

He said enrollees are usually given a bracelet which emits a radio signal that can be tracked by first responders in the event they are lost or missing. 

First responders can use the directional radio signal to pinpoint and track a missing person. Sutton said while the bracelets have a fairly wide range on the ground, in extreme instances with the use of a helicopter, that range can be extended significantly. 

In Warren County the program is administered by the Warren County Health Department and interested parties can reach out about enrollment at 636 456-7474. 

While in this case, the mother called the authorities for help after roughly 20 minutes of searching, Sutton said there is no time limit to involving first responders when searching for a lost loved one. 

“If the person is overwhelmed, and doesn’t have the capacity to search or anything like that, they can call right away,” said Sutton. 

Sutton also said in the immediate moments following a call, there are a few other steps families can take to prepare for first responders’ arrival and help contribute to a successful search. 

He said even if people are out looking, families should make sure someone is waiting back at the house, or the location where the individual was originally lost. 

“Many times, the kid, whether they run away from home or just run from a situation, they’ll sneak back into the house and hide,” said Sutton. “So they’re often found in the homes that they’re claimed to be missing from.”

He also pointed out that while families should absolutely look if they think they are in a situation where a loved one, either a child or an elderly family member suffering from dementia, has gone missing. 

Sutton did emphasize that once authorities have been called, volunteers and family members should do their best to ensure that the area where the individual was last seen remains undisturbed. 

“If law enforcement is called, and we deploy a K-9, having an entry area or something to that effect that’s pointed out, and making sure that area is not disturbed,” said Sutton. “Meaning not having volunteers already out there, or other dogs or animals, so that officer can go in there and get a track started.”

He said this is important because while dogs will track scent, there are other markers like tracks that could be used to help find a missing person. 

Once officers arrive on scene, they will start with getting a description of the missing person and establishing a perimeter of the search area. 

That description will also include relevant information like any medical issues and the person’s knowledge of an area as well as any potential modes of transportation they may have. 

Sutton said proximity to bodies of water is of importance as they can be particularly dangerous in these situations. 

“Especially for people with autism, dementia and Alzheimer’s, for some reason, they always gravitate towards water,” said Sutton. “So we will attempt to get officers in the area of those places as soon as possible to prevent any potential other issues.”