The missing 4-year-old boy from a small town in Montana has been rescued and found safe after being alone for two days in the wilderness.
Ryker Webb was hungry, thirsty, and cold, but he was still in good spirits when members of the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office located him in a remote area some 2.4 miles from his home. The toddler was taken for a medical evaluation at the Cabinet Peaks Medical Center.
According to People, Ryker was playing with the family dog in their yard when his father stepped inside the house "for a moment." When his father came out, he realized that Ryker was nowhere to be found.
The sheriff's office then responded to the report of a missing boy, and the Webb family's neighbors had a Code Red Alert, which implored them to search their own properties for any traces of the child. Some 50 people actively searched for Ryker in the wilderness using drones, dog teams, boats, and all-terrain vehicles, while the Montana Air National Guard and the Flathead County and Spokane Police also conducted their search.
However, the sheriff's office said they had abysmal weather due to the perennial rains, thus making it more challenging to locate the child. Fortunately, the community did not give up despite the weather.
Ryker Webb Found!
By Sunday, June 5, groups and families were checking out cabins and other locations in the Montana wilderness. One group saw a cabin and heard a boy's voice from behind the shed with a generator.
According to Sheriff Darren Short via Today, Ryker sought shelter at this shed but was "very, very scared." The area is known to have bears and mountain lions.
Short also noted that the boy's eyes lit up when told his parents were waiting for him. He said that the family has been distraught over Ryker.
However, the sheriff's office will still investigate why the toddler didn't have close supervision. The police also want to know why it took his mom and dad two hours until they reported him missing.
Preliminary investigations showed that Ryker looked for bugs and insects because the trail leading away from his house had many rocks turned over. The boy told the officers that he had taken a long walk and then got tired and realized he was lost.
Other Missing Boys Found Safe
In March, an 8-month-old baby was also found alive in a Louisiana field after an overnight search. Niguel Jackson wasn't crying when he was rescued. He immediately received medical care. According to WAFB, the baby was left alone by his mother, who was said to be suffering from a mental health condition.
A 5-year-old child also went missing overnight in Texas and was located across a field in Bandera County when he flagged down the chopper looking for him. Cameron Crumrine's family thought he went out to walk the dogs, but when he didn't return after dinner, they reported him missing to the police. However, it wasn't the first time the boy had gone out to venture into the outdoors. He told the cops he wanted to try camping on his own.
