Boone County Sheriff’s deputies are praising Columbia Police, numerous other agencies and citizens for helping to locate a missing four-year-old child who walked away from a home Thursday night. The child was missing for about four hours in subfreezing temperatures before he was found at about 3:45 am in the 100 block of East Francis Street in Sturgeon.
Columbia Police say the child was found without shoes or adequate clothing in 15-degree weather. He was missing for five-hours. CPD has released body camera footage of when officers discovered the child, who was crying.
Boone County Sheriff’s Captain Brian Leer says the child was found more than a half-mile from where he had disappeared and was in medical distress. Captain Leer says the child was transported to University Hospital by ambulance. Authorities used a K9, drones, a Missouri State Highway Patrol helicopter, thermal imaging and personnel who searched on foot during the search and rescue mission.
A grid search was established for the Sturgeon area, and each grid was searched extensively on food. Authorities also shut down railroad traffic through the city of Sturgeon, which is about 23 miles north of Columbia. The investigation continues.