Autistic Kid Missing in Dolly Sods
October 19, 2007
26 posts
17 users
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While sitting on the beach yesterday, I read an article in the paper about an autistic kid/person who got lost in Dolly Sods. Does anyone know if they found him? Did or are there any DCSkiers or CV locals helping in the search?
I also noticed a message in the Shout Box from billhoo
yeah thats not good, especially since it's in the wilderness area and it can be real easy to lose the trail or get lost since alot of the trail intersections are not marked with much more than a small pile of rocks or something. wish i could get out there to help, but stuck in nova till saturday at least. hopin for the best.
I can get up there Saturday. If help is still needed, how do we go about volunteering?
As of last evening I heard on the radio that they had not found him. They are taking volunteers at the Lodge at Canaan Valley Resort.
We need lots of prayers, DCSkiers.
Who ever goes to the Valley this weekend keep the rest of us informed as to the status of the missing person.
Thanks,
The Colonel
We need lots of prayers, DCSkiers.
Who ever goes to the Valley this weekend keep the rest of us informed as to the status of the missing person.
Thanks,
The Colonel
This is about the worst nightmare I can imagine.
Billho, if you are in the valley pass on out thoughts and prayers and best wishes.
There are 300 volunteers searching for him, he has been lost since sunday afternoon and cannot effectively speak. He hasthe mind of a 3 - 4 year old. My god he must be so scared. we need to find him. pray hope meditate anything we can do.
Who all is thinking of going?
How's the weather in the Sods right now? If it's warmer than usual, that's a good thing (I suppose that goes without saying but since we all instinctively root against Indian Summers, for once it'd be good to be on the wrong side of that cheer, no?). Is there a link to the article? I could forward to the OCVT group at VT and see if anyone from there might go up.
Civil Air Patrol could use Winwood to do air searches (if that is not already being done). Most CAP pilots are trained in Search and Rescue.
Does anyone on the list have ground search and rescue experience for wilderness areas? What is involved in such a process?
Thanks, I forwarded it to OCVT with a quick note. Maybe someone from down there can provide some assistance, too.
from WDTV:
"About 300 people were in the woods again Wednesday, and even though Jacob is still missing, search dogs were able to pick up his scent.
This development comes two days after crews discovered his hat on a trail near where he is believed to have disappeared.
The command center has also acquired data about lost autistic children that says there is a 25% chance Jacob is within 4/10 of a mile and a 50% chance that he is in within one mile of where he disappeared.
Rescue crews are using that information along with other clues to come up with probabilities as to where he most likely is.
Rescue crews still need your help.
Crews will be meeting at the ski area of Canaan Valley around 7:00am Thursday. Folks are reminded to being 24 hours worth of supplies and to dress appropriately.
The command center is also asking any residents of the Dolly Sods area to walk their property and to check any barns and out buildings where Jacob might feel safe and stay.
The command center is also asking that donations be stopped for the next few days because of storage problems"
I just heard he was found...dehydrated but otherwise ok. Unconfirmed, though.
That is the best news!!!!omg Kudos to all the volunteers that helped make this possible.
Glad to hear he was found. After working for 3 years with an NPO that supports developmentally disabled youths I am not surprised that they had so much trouble locating him, even in a small area.
Great news, I hoped that his age and health would pull him through. Thank God.
AWESOME NEWS!!! The family goes to a really big church in Morgantown, which has helped to spread the word like crazy. It seems everyone you talked to had some sort of connection to the family. Needless to say, this entire area has been booming with prayers and support for the past 4 days. I am so glad that they all paid off. I am sure there is going to be a big celebration soon!!
Great story, great result, and great effort by the search party. I can't help thinking, whether due to prayer or global warming, the extremely warm weather this October played a part in saving his life.
Jacob Allen's mom called the warm weather "the breath of God" on the Today show this morning. Also saw wvrocks, i think, on the same report after the search was over, looked like you were giving some thanks too DB.
Sounds like the weather has turned for the worse today and that would have compounded the challenge for Jacob as well as the search crew. The confidence the family and the search/rescue crew had that Jacob Allen was ok and would be found put a lump in my throat.
Yay! I was looking at weather.com just now and saw the rain moving in to WV, and thought... uh-oh. So I came over here to see if there had been any updates and lo-and-behold, Jacob is found and safe! He had as good a chance as any thanks to the nice weather over the last few days. Good for Jacob, good for his family! I hope they have a great time at church this weekend!
ps- this was a national story, apparently. My cousins who live out here had heard about it, so I told them a bit about the Sods.
I helped one time look for a couple of hikers/snowshoers one winter years back up in the sods. You would've thought it would be easy in the winter, but snow blows and tracks drift over. Quite an ordeal. They were located in less than 18 hours. Cold, hungry, and none the worse for wear because they were dressed and equiped for the weather. However, this instance would be very difficult indeed. Just be thankful that the weather was warmer. If the weather were normal this season the outcome may have been different.
Jacob Allen's mom called the warm weather "the breath of God" on the Today show this morning. Also saw wvrocks, i think, on the same report after the search was over, looked like you were giving some thanks too DB.
Sounds like the weather has turned for the worse today and that would have compounded the challenge for Jacob as well as the search crew. The confidence the family and the search/rescue crew had that Jacob Allen was ok and would be found put a lump in my throat.
Yep, I was there with Canaan Valley VFD working with the Incident Command. We really couldn't have asked for a better resolution to the situation. The weather was great, all the agencies exhibited outstanding teamwork, and the outpouring of support from everyone was simply amazing. There aren't words to convey our thanks to everyone who helped.
wvrocks,
Not enouh words to say "Thank you" to you and all the others that participated in the search.
For those using the MSN browser there is a video in the major news box about the rescue.
Thank God!
The colonel
