Kentucky State Police say a 22-month-old boy has been found safe, almost three days after disappearing from his rural Kentucky home.
State police said in a tweet the boy was found just before 2 p.m. Wednesday in Floyd County in the area of a stripe mine. He was taken by emergency medical services to be examined.
RT **UPDATE **
Missing Child – FOUND!
Just before 2PM today the child was found alive in the area of a strip mine in Floyd County which is on the boarder of Magoffin Co. The child has been transported by EMS to a medical facility, for examination and treatment if needed. pic.twitter.com/hnEy4qxsRd— KY State Police (@kystatepolice) May 15, 2019
News outlets reported earlier that Magoffin County Emergency Management Director Robert Prater said the original search area was a half-mile radius from the home but widened to about 1 mile and included an old, overgrown mining operation.
Magoffin County Search and Rescue Chief Carter Conley said crews were using dogs, ATVs, helicopters and drones with thermal cameras to search the rugged terrain.
Several search crews are out here today including Wolfe County Search & Rescue. Their team does a lot of work on rough, hilly terrain in the Red River Gorge pic.twitter.com/vEDOuFCbX7
— Hillary Thornton (@HillaryWKYT) May 14, 2019
Kentucky State Police spokesman William Petry said earlier there was no evidence of foul play. The boy’s father offered a $5,000 reward for the child’s safe return.
Kenneth Howard, who is nearly 2 years old, went missing on May 11 from his home in Salyersville.
Father Elden Howard said on Tuesday that family members think Kenneth just walked out of the house.
“Yeah, it’s just like he disappeared. No sign, no nothing. That’s the reason I’m starting to think, if we can’t find him, somebody’s picked him up,” Howard said, adding that he was offering a $5,000 reward.
UPDATE: The father of Kenneth Howard tells @LEX18News he’s offering a $5,000 reward for the safe return of his missing son. He provided us with these new pictures so people have a more recent look at the 22-month-old. KSP says this is still a missing persons case. pic.twitter.com/Um1XmD7sCX
— Conor McCue (@Conor_WLEX) May 14, 2019
Samantha Moore, Kenneth’s mother, said that the toddler was with Howard just before he vanished.
“He was outside with his dad and we see he just went around the back of the house, and when he went around after, he was just gone,” Moore told WTVQ. “It’s like he just disappeared. Like he’s just gone. I just feel like I’m in a daze. Like it’s just a nightmare.”
Robert Prater, a family friend, and the Magoffin County Emergency Management Director, said that from what he knew the family was on the front porch when the child vanished.
“I think the dad may have been on the front porch talking with maybe one of his brothers. I think the child slipped out the back door,” Prater told WYMT.
“I can’t even begin to fathom what the family is going through.”
This is the scene in Salyersville right now. People are gathering to pray for Kennth and his family @LEX18News pic.twitter.com/p8EODoBaEu
— Conor McCue (@Conor_WLEX) May 14, 2019
NTD News reporter Zachary Steiber and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
