Published: July 02, 2008 12:21 am         

Three missing youth found safely within hours

By Leslie Gibson

Herald-Banner Staff



FATE—Three children reported missing Sunday evening were found within three hours of law enforcement being notified.

Rockwall County Sheriff’s Department enlisted the aid of the Fate Volunteer Fire Department, the Dallas Police helicopter, and the Rockwall County Sheriff’s Posse. Contributing “tons” of help, were those in Woodcreek who received a mass e-mail as part of the Woodcreek Neighborhood Crime Watch program.

The three boys were at church with a family friend, the family and searchers learned at 8:17 p.m., according to Fate fire department.

When children are reported missing, the law enforcement and assistants begin searching immediately, Brian Griffeth, assistant chief of the Fate VFD said.

The Fate VFD set up a command post at the Woodcreek subdivision swimming pool, which is where the boys had last been seen, as part of their visit with their grandmother, according to fire department reports.

Fate VFD received their call about 5:30 p.m. and after clearing an already existing alarm call, were on the scene before 6 p.m. with 10 volunteer fire fighters.

They began a systematic search of the subdivision.

By 8 p.m., the Dallas Police helicopter was flying over fields which have no vehicle access; the Rockwall County Sheriff’s Posse was searching by 8:15 p.m., the door-to-door search by volunteers was underway, and by 8:17, the call came in that the boys were at church, Griffeth said.

At the command post, the officials had a yearbook which contained pictures of the youngsters, to which the volunteers were referring.