DOSWELL, Va. --A Martin Marietta quarry worker found Robert Wood Jr. about 2 p.m. lying down in a creek bed or gully west of the Martin Marietta quarry property, about three-quarters to a mile from where he was last seen, Hanover Sheriff David Hines said during an afternoon news briefing.
Hines said Robert was alert and described his condition as “serious but in good shape.” He was fully clothed.
“There is a God, he listens to prayer and the prayers were answered,” said Hines, adding, “no one on the team ever gave up” looking for him.
Robert, an 8-year-old severely autistic child who cannot speak, disappeared Sunday during a family walk in North Anna Battlefield park.
The worker found Robert in a fetal position but alert about 50 yards from the edge of the quarry.
Hines said the area where Robert was found had been searched before. “It’s been a challenge dealing with a child with special needs who is lost. I can’t tell you he was there (earlier). I don’t think we walked past him.”
“We have 6,000 volunteers to thank – and not just from Hanover County – but from the entire region,” said Hines, who also praised the support the department received from numerous public safety agencies, the military, search and rescue groups and local businesses.
The search, Hines said, was “an effort by an entire region – and possibly a state.”
“Whenever a child goes missing, everyone wants to step up,” he said.
“We’ve spoken with the experts that have been involved in these searches, and they have never been involved a search that had this many volunteers consistently, everyday, and grow everyday,” the chief said.
The investigation into how Robert became separated from his father continues, Hines said.
-- Mark Bowes and Bill McKelway
HANOVER COUNTY, VA (WWBT) - Entering day six and there is still no sign of the little boy lost in North Anna Battlefield Park.
Rescuers are not giving up hope on finding young Robert, but the conditions outside are about to be the worst its ever been in the search so far; it's much cooler Friday morning than the past few days. On top of that, we had rain last night and stronger winds. Hypothermia is still a concern for rescue crews as they're determined to find Robert.
HANOVER, VA (WWBT) - One of the most moving sights on the scene of the search for Robert Wood, Jr. is the number of volunteers who have come to help.
1,200 people showed up today alone, all ready to donate their time, some for the third day in a row. The task ahead of them is not an easy one, searching for miles for one small boy whose autism might keep him from responding.
It's tough terrain for these volunteers. This area is a place of tall trees and open spaces, cliffs and ravines. Before they head into the field, everyone undergoes training, where Robert's autism is one of the main focuses.
This disability has truly transformed the way authorities have developed their search tactics. For example, Robert really likes to climb trees, and they say he's very good at it.
As near-freezing temperatures threatened to set in at nightfall, more than 1,000 volunteers spent today searching rugged Virginia woodlands for a 9-year-old autistic boy who has been missing since Sunday.
Carrying walking sticks and wearing yellow reflective jackets, the searchers began lining up before dawn to be taken to the forest where they were to look for Robert Wood, Jr.
More @ http://abcnews.go.com/US/search-continues-robert-woods-jr-missing-mute-autistic/story?id=14827692
A total of 940 volunteers helped authorities conduct 74 search missions so far today but 9-year-old Robert Wood Jr. still hasn’t been found.
“We are working under the assumption that he is still alive,” Hanover sheriff’s Capt. Michael Trice said at a 3:30 p.m. news briefing. “We’re looking to give him the aid that he needs.”
Trice said 940 volunteers were deployed today, and between 200 and 250 of those returned from helping Tuesday. The sheriff’s office is asking for more volunteer help on Thursday.
HANOVER COUNTY, VA (WTVR) - The Hanover Sheriff’s Office is telling people who want to volunteer and search for missing nine-year-old Robbie Wood Jr., to not show up at the search site but rather at King's Dominion Tuesday morning.
"Volunteers must be physically fit and able to walk a distance of at least 5 miles. They must possess the proper clothing and footwear to traverse difficult terrain," Hanover County Sheriff's Captain Mike Trice said in a Monday afternoon a press release about accepting volunteers after saying earlier Monday that volunteers were not needed. The press release also said that everyone that shows up may not be used inthe search.
HANOVER, Va. --A 9-year-old autistic boy on a walk with family disappeared into North Anna Battlefield Park on Sunday afternoon while his father, brother and an adult woman stopped to take a break. The search continued throughout the night and into this morning without success.
The overnight temperature dropped to 45 degrees at 6 a.m. today, according to the National Weather Service.
Robert "Robbie" Wood Jr. was reported missing at about 2:45 p.m. Sunday after he wandered away and left the trail. Officials said about 11 a.m. today they had still found no trace of him.
Jackson Kastner was known around Monroe as his mama's little duckling. The autistic 4-year-old followed Melissa Kastner everywhere she went.
But on March 27, after unloading groceries, Kastner turned and saw that Jackson was gone. Less than three hours later, authorities recovered his body from the Raisin River. Like others with autism, he had wandered away.
The problem of wandering is getting more attention as autism diagnoses increase and the number of people living with Alzheimer's disease and dementia continues to grow, said experts. Between 2000 and 2025, the greater Michigan chapter of the Alzheimer's Association says, the number of people in the state age 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease will jump 12%, from 170,000 to 190,000.
Several tracking devices, such as radio wristbands, have cropped up in recent years, touted as offering peace of mind forparents like Kastner and people like Doris Gunter who care for someone with Alzheimer's disease or dementia. The Detroiter's 71-year-old father, L.J. Blevins, left their backyard in July and is still missing.
The devices promise a quick and safe return of a loved one who has wandered away.
Kastner said a tracking device could have saved Jackson's life.
"If I would have known about some device that would have tracked him, I would have used it," she said. "I would take out a loan to do it."
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