Jul 8, 2008 5:22 pm US/Central
Toddler Found 12 Hours After Vanishing In Oswego
Police, Volunteers Combed Area Overnight Before Finding Muddied, Dazed 3-Year-Old
OSWEGO, Ill. (CBS) ―
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Police and volunteers searched Tuesday morning for 3 1/2-year-old Ryan Flake, who wandered away from his home the night before. A man working in the area eventually found the toddler covered in mud near a retention pond.
Flake Family
It was an emotional reunion Tuesday for a 3-year-old Oswego boy who was back home with his family after vanishing Monday evening.
Three-year-old Ryan Flake was tired but doing well Tuesday afternoon after a frightening night out on his own. Hundreds of people searched his southwest suburban neighborhood after the little boy disappeared.
CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman spoke with Ryan's relieved parents in Oswego. The family of eight went outside to enjoy the sunset Monday evening, only to realize one of their children was missing. Ultimately, an Iraq war veteran found the child safe, but not before a whole lot of worry.
"It was the most incredible thing just to hold him," his mother, VaNae Flake said.
You'd think it was incredible to hold your little boy, too, if he had disappeared the way Ryan Flake did.
"Thankfully, he's in good shape," his father, Read Flake said.
For 12 long hours, though, they didn't know that and worried about him in a way no parent wants to.
It was around 8:30 p.m. Monday when VaNae and Read Flake realized 3-year-old son wandered from their very full family home into the rural area round it. He's a quiet, quick boy, so they called in help right away and the search was on.
Ryan's aunt, Sarah Flake said, "They went to neighbors' houses and he wasn't there, and they called the police, and they quickly got people from the local church together and walked through the woods calling for him. They got the hounds out there."
Ryan's parents have six children. Ryan is the second youngest. Their house in located on a cul-de-sac behind a dense forest and a pond, and close to a cornfield and several acres of rolling hills, Sarah Flake said.
"The kids play outside all the time, so it's not uncommon for the kids to go outside and do their own thing, but this is not something that's anticipated, obviously," she said.
Ryan's father said, "It was very discouraging. We were out last night with flashlights and when that rain started coming down it just made me ill because I knew he was out in it."
Somehow the son he described as a tough kid made it through the night. The family did, too, with the help of police, neighbors, church members and volunteers who just didn't give up. They searched from the ground, air and water.
"It's a constant hope. That's all you can do is hope, hope and pray," said volunteer searcher Bill Lumino.
Minutes after Lumino spoke those words came the words everyone wanted to hear when a volunteer announced around 8:30 a.m., "They just told us he was found, he's okay, he's a little dazed."
More than two dozen law enforcement agencies were in on the effort to make sure that storybook ending happened, along with a number of volunteers.
"I've got kids myself, five kids, and he's got kids, so we're just out here helping," said volunteer Jeff Paul.
The searchers covered a lot of territory, in darkness and in light, but they never gave up on finding the toddler.
"He's really shy; doesn't talk very much," Sarah Flake said. "He's the kind of kid who if he wanders off, he's not going to look for help."
It turned out a man who worked in the area heard about Ryan's case and made his way over, figuring he could get his job done and keep his eyes open. That's when he spotted the boy, covered in mud.
Matt Woodlin said, "I happened to be at the right place at the right time. I saw him stumbling in and out of the weeds between retention ponds and the creek. You could see relief when I told him he was going home and he was excited about being in a big truck."
"When he told me he found him, I seriously did jump on the poor guy," VaNae Flake said. "We can't say thank you enough, there's just no way,"
"It's really just a whole range of emotions from absolute fear and dread and despair to elation and joy and happiness," Read Flake said.
They believed Ryan walked all through the night. He was at least a mile away from home when Woodin found him, both reasons he was very sleepy Tuesday afternoon. His mom and dad said Ryan typically plays in the backyard, but he has never had an adventure like this.
They also said they have child-proofed their home with all sorts of locks and such, but they'll keep Ryan on a shorter leash now.
CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman and Kris Habermehl contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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