Intensive Search At State Park Finds Lost Boy

By Andrew Gorosko

An intensive search on August 23 conducted by several public safety agencies found an unharmed 8-year-old boy who had become lost while hiking with other youths through Huntington State Park.

The boy, whom police declined to identify, had been hiking with seven other youths of similar age, plus two adult counselors, when he became separated from the group and wandered off of a trail at the 883-acre park, which has varied terrain. Most of the park is in Redding, with a section of it in Bethel, and a small portion lying in Newtown.

The boy, who lives in Weston, eventually was found in Newtown, after which he was brought out from the wooded area to the turnaround circle at the end of Equestrian Ridge Road in Newtown, explained Redding Police Chief Douglas Fuchs. The search lasted about 90 minutes. More than 20 people were involved in the effort.

Chief Fuchs said Redding police received a telephone call just after 2 pm from one of the adult counselors that a boy had strayed from the group and had become lost while hiking on a trail in the park. The hikers had entered the park from an entrance off Old Dodgingtown Road in Redding.

Redding police responded to the scene and met with the counselors to assess the situation, the police chief said. Police obtained a photo of the boy, plus a description of the youth to aid them in their search.

To expedite the search, Redding police contacted Newtown police and Bethel police, Chief Fuchs said. Also, the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which has jurisdiction over state parks, was alerted. Dodgingtown and Sandy Hook firefighters went to the scene.

Redding police contacted state police who flew their helicopter Trooper One to the area to participate. The helicopter crew was just about to search for the boy when he was found, Chief Fuchs said.

Police dogs from Bethel and Monroe also were called in to help find the youth. Searchers employed an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), a lightweight motorcycle, and a mountain bike in the effort.

Police set up a command post for the search.

Newtown police entered the search area from the turnaround circle at the end of Equestrian Ridge Road. That street extends toward the state park from Poverty Hollow Road.

The searchers repeatedly called out the boy’s name as they walked through the area until hearing his responses, after which they found the youth who was soiled with dirt by the misadventure, but unharmed.

Considering his predicament, the boy was composed when he was located, the Chief Fuchs said.

Although Redding police are occasionally involved in searches for people at the two state parks in that town, the August 23 search was the largest mobilization of its type in quite some time, Chief Fuchs said.

Police and firefighters brought the boy to Equestrian Ridge Road, after which he was transported to Redding, where he was joined by his father, who had been alerted of the search.

Chief Fuchs termed the search “a very good cooperative effort” by the many agencies involved.