MADISON COUNTY, MO (KTVI- FOX2now.com) -
Searchers are still combing the rough terrain in Madison County Missouri where a 3 year old boy disappeared Monday morning. Joshua Childers was reported missing by his parents shortly after noon Monday, Madison County Sheriff David Lewis said. The blond toddler, about 3 feet tall and weighing 35 pounds, was wearing a dark blue shirt and a pull-up diaper when he left his house near Arcadia through the back door around 11:30 a.m., the sheriff said.
Lewis said Joshua had been gone about five minutes when his parents noticed he was missing. The couple searched about 45 minutes in the hilly terrain around their home, then called authorities. Helicopters flew over the area as officers from local police and sheriffs' departments and the Missouri State Highway Patrol searched a half-mile area around the home.
Hundreds of volunteers then joined the effort, and Missouri Department of Corrections bloodhounds from the state prison at Farmington were brought in on Monday. Many searched through the night and others returned Tuesday morning. As for what they're finding - sadly - not much. As how for how long they'll look, it's a very defiant - "until further notice" from the sheriff.
Almost 34 hours had passed since anyone had seen three year old Joshua Childers by 9:00 p.m. Tuesday. Joshua disappeared late Monday morning from his home in a remote section of Madison County, Missouri, between Fredericktown and Arcadia. Sheriff's deputies said the word from Madison County Sheriff, David Lewis, was they would continue searching until further notice.
"Our main thing is to to eliminate all the possibilities," said Dave Nelson of the Missouri Water Patrol. He said a team of a half-dozen searchers and divers had been checking ponds and lakes near the Childers home.
He said they had yet to eliminate any of the bodies of water as of early Tuesday evening. Trained searchers, "first responders", teamed with volunteers into the night, looking for the boy.
"Heartbreaking," said James Womble, a cousin of Joshua's mother. "I just hope just hope he gets back home with his family."
For the second straight day, hundreds of volunteers showed up to help but went home after waiting for hours and not being asked to help. Authorities were keeping a tight perimeter around the Childers home. The sheriff said he wanted to conduct an orderly search to make sure no ground was missed and keep any searchers from getting lost in the heavily wooded, hilly, terrain; sort of a Missouri version of the Smoky Mountains.
"There was one guy who was walking the creek," said volunteer, Carol Vest. "He was up to his neck in water, walking the creek - a looking. So there's people out there trying."
She'd searched on horseback, Monday. She'd become frustrated Tuesday, waiting hours without being allowed to help. Still, the search effort was far ranging and intense.
"You can see there's people here on horse back," said Rick Judd of the Eureka Fire Search and Rescue Team. His group was there with three canine units. "There's people on ATV's. There's people on foot, then the canines. Hopefully they're using all the advantages of those different resources."
"We've been using ... the dragging method," Nelson said, describing how the Water Patrol was dragging the bottoms of nearby ponds and lakes. "We've also used divers in the water. Right now we also have more technical equipment on the way which is a side scan sonar."
A Fox 2 crew found the boy's father, Adam Childers, out looking, too. Search dogs tracked Joshua's scent to a dock on a nearby pond; the pond being one of those possibilities searchers were trying to eliminate, while keeping another possibility alive.
"Whereas other age groups, they may panic and get farther and farther [away]," Judge said. "Statistically this age group will take shelter. I think there's reason for hope. The survivability of this age bracket is probably higher than you might expect."
His group ended their part of the search just before 10 p.m. Tuesday night, the dogs and their handlers were exhausted after taking two rotations through the search zone. Other searchers pressed on. Judd said his team was asked to be ready to go again at daybreak Wednesday.
Arcadia is about 75 miles southwest of St. Louis. If you have any information, please cal the Madison County, MO Sheriff's Department at (573) 783-2234.
Lewis said Joshua had been gone about five minutes when his parents noticed he was missing. The couple searched about 45 minutes in the hilly terrain around their home, then called authorities. Helicopters flew over the area as officers from local police and sheriffs' departments and the Missouri State Highway Patrol searched a half-mile area around the home.
Hundreds of volunteers then joined the effort, and Missouri Department of Corrections bloodhounds from the state prison at Farmington were brought in on Monday. Many searched through the night and others returned Tuesday morning. As for what they're finding - sadly - not much. As how for how long they'll look, it's a very defiant - "until further notice" from the sheriff.
Almost 34 hours had passed since anyone had seen three year old Joshua Childers by 9:00 p.m. Tuesday. Joshua disappeared late Monday morning from his home in a remote section of Madison County, Missouri, between Fredericktown and Arcadia. Sheriff's deputies said the word from Madison County Sheriff, David Lewis, was they would continue searching until further notice.
"Our main thing is to to eliminate all the possibilities," said Dave Nelson of the Missouri Water Patrol. He said a team of a half-dozen searchers and divers had been checking ponds and lakes near the Childers home.
He said they had yet to eliminate any of the bodies of water as of early Tuesday evening. Trained searchers, "first responders", teamed with volunteers into the night, looking for the boy.
"Heartbreaking," said James Womble, a cousin of Joshua's mother. "I just hope just hope he gets back home with his family."
For the second straight day, hundreds of volunteers showed up to help but went home after waiting for hours and not being asked to help. Authorities were keeping a tight perimeter around the Childers home. The sheriff said he wanted to conduct an orderly search to make sure no ground was missed and keep any searchers from getting lost in the heavily wooded, hilly, terrain; sort of a Missouri version of the Smoky Mountains.
"There was one guy who was walking the creek," said volunteer, Carol Vest. "He was up to his neck in water, walking the creek - a looking. So there's people out there trying."
She'd searched on horseback, Monday. She'd become frustrated Tuesday, waiting hours without being allowed to help. Still, the search effort was far ranging and intense.
"You can see there's people here on horse back," said Rick Judd of the Eureka Fire Search and Rescue Team. His group was there with three canine units. "There's people on ATV's. There's people on foot, then the canines. Hopefully they're using all the advantages of those different resources."
"We've been using ... the dragging method," Nelson said, describing how the Water Patrol was dragging the bottoms of nearby ponds and lakes. "We've also used divers in the water. Right now we also have more technical equipment on the way which is a side scan sonar."
A Fox 2 crew found the boy's father, Adam Childers, out looking, too. Search dogs tracked Joshua's scent to a dock on a nearby pond; the pond being one of those possibilities searchers were trying to eliminate, while keeping another possibility alive.
"Whereas other age groups, they may panic and get farther and farther [away]," Judge said. "Statistically this age group will take shelter. I think there's reason for hope. The survivability of this age bracket is probably higher than you might expect."
His group ended their part of the search just before 10 p.m. Tuesday night, the dogs and their handlers were exhausted after taking two rotations through the search zone. Other searchers pressed on. Judd said his team was asked to be ready to go again at daybreak Wednesday.
Arcadia is about 75 miles southwest of St. Louis. If you have any information, please cal the Madison County, MO Sheriff's Department at (573) 783-2234.
