Boy who went missing in Lincoln County found
4-years-old Ryker Webb is described as having red hair and blue eyes. He was last seen in the Bull Lake area in Lincoln County on Friday.
A 4-year-old boy who went missing in the Bull Lake area of Lincoln County has been found alive.
According to a message Sunday afternoon from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Ryker Webb was found alive and in good health. No other information on how or where he was found was provided.
Attempts to reach Sheriff Darren Short were not immediately successful.
The search began for Webb on Friday evening. He was last seen Friday afternoon playing with the family dog in the yard outside the home in the area of the 18 mile marker of Montana 56, south of Troy on the east side of Bull Lake
A code red alert was sent out Friday to residents in the vicinity, asking that they search their own properties and structures. A missing person report was also disseminated nationwide.
Short said over the weekend that search and rescue squads from three states — Montana, Idaho and Washington, looked for the child with K-9 units, boats, drones with infrared cameras as well as two National Guard helicopters from Helena.
Grid searches were also performed by SAR crews on foot and route searches were done utilizing ATV and side-by-side utility task vehicles.
“We’ve covered several miles in all directions, but the rugged terrain and brush made it difficult,” Short said on Saturday. “Two Bear Air and Life Flight helicopters would have normally searched last night with their infrared, but it wasn’t possible with the poor weather that occurred Friday night.
Thunderstorms, heavy rain and heavy mist were all factors that limited the air search.
“I was surprised and grateful, that the National Guard helicopters were able to get here to help,” Short said.
Search teams included the Lincoln County and Flathead County sheriff’s offices, Sandpoint, Idaho, Spokane Police Department, David Thompson Search and Rescue, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Libby Volunteer Fire Department, Bull Lake Fire and Rescue and North Valley Search and Rescue.
Short also thanked the Halfway House Bar and Grill, Stillwater Christian Church and Rosauers Supermarkets for providing food and water for the dozens of searchers who worked to locate the child.
“I truly want to thank everyone who came out to help,” Short said.