Missing Marysville boy found safe

By Jennifer Langston

Herald Writer

A search and rescue dog found a 12-year-old Marysville boy hunkered down in a gully Friday night after he had been missing more than a day.

Dozens of police officers and volunteers spent the day combing a 10-block-square area for the boy, who was last seen getting off his school bus.

The boy, who had apparently spent the night outdoors, was found unharmed in a wooded area about six blocks from his house.

His parents said the boy, who was fascinated with streams and fishing, had good outdoor survival skills, according to Marysville police Cmdr. Robb Lamoureux.

Police believe that the boy, who had gotten into some trouble at school on Thursday, may have been hiding because he was afraid to go home.

A school bus dropped the boy off at his regular stop — the corner of 67th Avenue NE and Grove Street — around 3:45 p.m. on Thursday, police said. Other children saw him heading off in the direction of his house.

His parents reported him missing four hours later. Because he loves fish and streams, police first searched parks with water in them and contacted his friends.

Friday they intensified the search, with about 25 officers and volunteers knocking on doors and distributing fliers throughout the community. They combed the neighborhood on foot, searching abandoned buildings, parks and a defunct golf driving range between his school and home.

Friday night, Snohomish County Search and Rescue began searching with two dogs trained to find missing people.

Despite the darkness and rainy weather, one dog tracked the boy’s scent to the wooded gully, where police guess he had been holed up the entire time.

You can call Herald Writer Jennifer Langston at 425-339-3452

or send e-mail to langston@heraldnet.com.

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