The father of the Sauble Beach boy who was missing for nearly six hours Tuesday evening before an OPP helicopter found him unharmed in a wooded area, called the Open Line show on AM 560 CFOS this morning to thank the community for helping to find his six year old son Andre.
The boy had gone missing at about 6 Tuesday night in the area of Mapleport Crescent in Sauble Beach, prompting a search for him.
“I just wanted to say thank you for bringing (Andre) home, I wanted to say thank you to everybody that was out there last night that I saw up until they found him. Friends, neighbours, strangers, the woman who gave me the lantern, the woman who gave me the flashlight to keep looking. I want to thank the OPP helicopter. I want to thank Saugeen First Nation and South Bruce Peninsula Fire Department, the Emergency Response Team and everybody for bringing him home safely,” says the boy’s father Jason.
Police were called just after 6:30 Tuesday night (Sept 22) about the missing boy. Officers searched the residence and surrounding properties but did not find him.
They reasoned he walked away from the house in an unknown direction.
Police quickly took to social media to spread the word and ask residents of south Sauble Beach to check their properties and outbuildings for him.
Meanwhile, OPP, Saugeen First Nation and South Bruce Peninsula Firefighters searched the area. An OPP helicopter conducted an aerial search and Emergency Response Team members searched on foot and with dogs.
Just after midnight, the OPP Helicopter spotted the boy in a wooded area within a kilometre of the house.
Emergency Response Team members were directed to his location, where he was found safe.
His dad Jason says he wanted to call the radio station to thank as many people as he could, “We will never be able to say thank you to everybody that was out there so I just thought this would be the best way to say it.”
“I want to thank everybody for making the worst day become the best day…I feel fortunate to live here.”
Jason says his son was doing well and catching up on sleep when he called the Open Line this morning.
