LAKE STEVENS — The 13-year-old Lake Stevens boy who had been missing for almost two weeks returned home Saturday night tired, but safe.
Nicholas Clark called his mother from a gas station in Granite Falls late Saturday and asked her to pick him up, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said in a press release.
Nicholas left his home on Oct. 13, when he left a note for his mother saying he would get in touch with her in a couple of months once he reached his destination, Hover said.
He never said where or when that would be.
Detectives believed the boy, who has survival skills, went out on what he thought was a great adventure.
Hover said Nicholas was tired but didn’t need any medical attention.
The boy told his mother he spent the past 12 days wandering and camping by himself in wooded areas between Lake Stevens and Granite Falls, Hover said.
It’s unclear what prompted Nicholas to call home, but his mother said the days he spent by himself gave him plenty of time to think, Hover said.
Nicholas had always been home-schooled and was scheduled to start public school on Oct. 13. Detectives and his family believe it may have been the reason he ran away, Hover said.
The boy’s mother said that after spending some time away, Nicholas is ready to start public school, Hover said.
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