SELLS, AZ — Multiple agencies worked together to safely bring home a 4-year-old boy reported missing from his home near Sells, Arizona.
The FBI said Thursday the search was initiated after the boy disappeared from his home Friday morning.
Officials say the child was outside playing with his dog when he wandered off. When the family noticed he was not at the home, they called law enforcement for help.
Tohono O’odham Police, Customs and Border Protection - U.S. Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR), and the FBI worked together to create a plan to locate the child.
Crews were worried about low temperatures and wildlife that could have put the child in danger.
Crews searched through the night and the next day around noon, a helicopter spotted the child waving at them.
BORSTAR agents provided first aid to the child, gave him blankets, and took him to the hospital where he was determined to be in good health.
Officials discovered the child about 5.5 miles away from his home and said he walked up to 15 miles in circles within the 24-hour period.
The child’s dog remained with him for most of the time, officials believe.
