Scary, the thought of my child wandering off. My son used to wander when he was younger. When we purchased our home, we thought about if our son would wander would he be safe? Would he wander far? How could we keep him from wandering? A parent's worst nightmare. Even worse when your child has a special need like Down Syndrome.
I read about a missing little boy on Facebook. I reposted the story about a missing little boy in Australia that had Down Syndrome. Read below about this little boy and how his family dog helped searchers find him safe and sound.
Family pets protect Down syndrome boy
- AAP
- October 04, 2012
Cold and covered in scratches, Riley Martin was found sitting on the ground in bushland near Shelley Beach just after 7am today.
He and his three pet dogs - two fox terriers and a kelpie - hadn't been seen since midday yesterday when he disappeared from his home in Nambucca Heads.
A couple from Kempsey saw an appeal for assistance on NSW Police's Facebook page and immediately drove to the area to help with the search.
They found Riley this morning with one of his dogs.
"We heard a dog bark, we almost stood on him," the unnamed couple told the Nine Network.
"He was covered in scratches and cold."
A man ran down a nearby street yelling "we have found him" to the boy's mother Bianca.
Footage of an emotional reunion showed Ms Martin grabbing hold of Riley and collapsing to the ground.
"Has he had water?" she asked.
"He's been through the bush. Those dogs kept him alive. Words can't describe it."
The boy was checked by paramedics and taken to Macksville Hospital as a precaution, police said.
Police, emergency services workers, volunteers and neighbours had scoured the area around Riley's home until Wednesday night. Local police kept searching overnight.
Be gentle.
.JPG)
