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ARCADIA, MO (KTVI - FOX2now.com) -
Three year old Joshua Childers has been upgraded to good condition at the Jefferson Regional Medical center in Crystal City, Missouri after a three day ordeal in the woods. The toddler, who was found with one shoe on and his pajama top, was found by searchers Wednesday.
Hospital officials say they're checking the boy for bug bites, spider bites, snake bites, and abrasions while treating Joshua for dehydration. The prognosis is said to be very good.
"I'm so happy, you can't believe it!" Those were the words of Madison County Sheriff David Lewis discussing the rescue of three year old Joshua late Wednesday afternoon.
The three year old missing for fifty-three hours has been found alive in Madison County, Missouri. Childers wandered away from his home in a wooded area Monday Morning. Officials say he was located by a Madison County resident by the name of Donnie Halpin about three miles from his home.
Halpin's wife tells FOX 2 of her husband's phone call to her son describing finding Joshua, "He could hear him crying and was carrying him out of the woods." She says her son had a great deal of trouble hearing the hero of the day over the phone.
"He could barely understand him he was so excited," she says.
Halpin is a construction worker who had the day off because rain in the area. He chose to help searchers look for the boy with his time off.
Sheriff Lewis says the boy is in fair condition at an area hospital. He was transported there by Missouri Highway Patrol officers. Asked if he'd describe the boy's survival as a miracle, the sheriff responded, "absolutely."
"This is some of the roughest terrain you'll find," Lewis told FOX 2 Wednesday evening. A day earlier the little boy's shoe had been found about three-quarters of a mile from his home. The sheriff says weather likely played a factor in the child's survival.
"It's been warm, and that helped us a bunch," he says.
Search and rescue teams, along with volunteers have been searching the rough terrain about 90 miles south of St. Louis almost around the clock since the boy's disappearance.
Childers was located about 4:05 Wednesday afternoon.
As word spread of the rescue, FOX 2's Andy Banker was with Joshua's Great Grandmother.
The news that Joshua Childers, 3, of Arcadia, had been found after wandering around the Mark Twain Forest in Madison County, Missouri, for two and a half days, made for magical moments for people across the St. Louis area Wednesday; from the man who found Joshua and the mother of Shawn Hornbeck to Joshua's great-grandma in South St. Louis.
A Fox 2 headed back to the search scene, stopped for interview with Joshua's great-grandma, Janet Schulte.
Just as the interview began, Fox 2 photographer, Donovan Potts relayed a text message sent from the newsroom; Fox 2 had received multiple unconfirmed tips: Joshua was found alive.
"They just found him, alive," Potts said. "They did," Schulte said. "Oh they found him alive ! Oh how wonderful. Oh gosh !"
The rain people prayed would stay away, may have been a God send.
Construction worker, Donnie Halpin, found three year old Joshua Childers about 53 hours after he slipped out of the back door of his house, unnoticed by his parents, then disappeared into the forest. Halpin was only there because the rain cancelled his construction job. In South St. Louis, Schule prayed beside her bed.
"I said, please St. Anthony, whether he's dead or alive, whatever the outcome, please, let them find him by nightfall," she said through tears.
St. Anthony of Padua is the patron of lost things and missing people. Schulte said Joshua's father didn't sound like himself anymore when she talked to him on the phone about the search. Fox 2 crews at the scene could feel his emptiness as he was out looking for his boy.
And Joshua, Schule thought, had been through enough. So she kept praying.
"Last night I thought, it's supposed to rain tonight," she said. "This is the second night out in the rain. He's got a pajama top on and a dirty diaper...and I thought, here's this little boy out in the rain for a second night, no food, no water and nothing but wet clothes. Oh, gosh."
As it turned out, Hornbeck's mother, Pam Akers, was at the Childer's house, watching as Joshua's parents ran out upon hearing the news.
"They were running down the hill, couldn't wait to get to the car because they knew that car was going to be taking them to Joshua. His brother was with them. They were all crying and holding hands and cheering. It was just absolutely wonderful," Akers said, choking up.
As Joshua's great-grandmother might say, 'Oh Gosh'.
"Thank you St. Anthony," she cried. "This is more than St. Anthony's expected [to do] .. oh gosh !"
Oh gosh, indeed.
Hospital officials say they're checking the boy for bug bites, spider bites, snake bites, and abrasions while treating Joshua for dehydration. The prognosis is said to be very good.
"I'm so happy, you can't believe it!" Those were the words of Madison County Sheriff David Lewis discussing the rescue of three year old Joshua late Wednesday afternoon.
The three year old missing for fifty-three hours has been found alive in Madison County, Missouri. Childers wandered away from his home in a wooded area Monday Morning. Officials say he was located by a Madison County resident by the name of Donnie Halpin about three miles from his home.
Halpin's wife tells FOX 2 of her husband's phone call to her son describing finding Joshua, "He could hear him crying and was carrying him out of the woods." She says her son had a great deal of trouble hearing the hero of the day over the phone.
"He could barely understand him he was so excited," she says.
Halpin is a construction worker who had the day off because rain in the area. He chose to help searchers look for the boy with his time off.
Sheriff Lewis says the boy is in fair condition at an area hospital. He was transported there by Missouri Highway Patrol officers. Asked if he'd describe the boy's survival as a miracle, the sheriff responded, "absolutely."
"This is some of the roughest terrain you'll find," Lewis told FOX 2 Wednesday evening. A day earlier the little boy's shoe had been found about three-quarters of a mile from his home. The sheriff says weather likely played a factor in the child's survival.
"It's been warm, and that helped us a bunch," he says.
Search and rescue teams, along with volunteers have been searching the rough terrain about 90 miles south of St. Louis almost around the clock since the boy's disappearance.
Childers was located about 4:05 Wednesday afternoon.
As word spread of the rescue, FOX 2's Andy Banker was with Joshua's Great Grandmother.
The news that Joshua Childers, 3, of Arcadia, had been found after wandering around the Mark Twain Forest in Madison County, Missouri, for two and a half days, made for magical moments for people across the St. Louis area Wednesday; from the man who found Joshua and the mother of Shawn Hornbeck to Joshua's great-grandma in South St. Louis.
A Fox 2 headed back to the search scene, stopped for interview with Joshua's great-grandma, Janet Schulte.
Just as the interview began, Fox 2 photographer, Donovan Potts relayed a text message sent from the newsroom; Fox 2 had received multiple unconfirmed tips: Joshua was found alive.
"They just found him, alive," Potts said. "They did," Schulte said. "Oh they found him alive ! Oh how wonderful. Oh gosh !"
The rain people prayed would stay away, may have been a God send.
Construction worker, Donnie Halpin, found three year old Joshua Childers about 53 hours after he slipped out of the back door of his house, unnoticed by his parents, then disappeared into the forest. Halpin was only there because the rain cancelled his construction job. In South St. Louis, Schule prayed beside her bed.
"I said, please St. Anthony, whether he's dead or alive, whatever the outcome, please, let them find him by nightfall," she said through tears.
St. Anthony of Padua is the patron of lost things and missing people. Schulte said Joshua's father didn't sound like himself anymore when she talked to him on the phone about the search. Fox 2 crews at the scene could feel his emptiness as he was out looking for his boy.
And Joshua, Schule thought, had been through enough. So she kept praying.
"Last night I thought, it's supposed to rain tonight," she said. "This is the second night out in the rain. He's got a pajama top on and a dirty diaper...and I thought, here's this little boy out in the rain for a second night, no food, no water and nothing but wet clothes. Oh, gosh."
As it turned out, Hornbeck's mother, Pam Akers, was at the Childer's house, watching as Joshua's parents ran out upon hearing the news.
"They were running down the hill, couldn't wait to get to the car because they knew that car was going to be taking them to Joshua. His brother was with them. They were all crying and holding hands and cheering. It was just absolutely wonderful," Akers said, choking up.
As Joshua's great-grandmother might say, 'Oh Gosh'.
"Thank you St. Anthony," she cried. "This is more than St. Anthony's expected [to do] .. oh gosh !"
Oh gosh, indeed.
