3 1/2-Year-Old Boy Vanishes In Oswego

Police Tuesday morning were searching for a 3 1/2-year-old boy who has vanished from his home in Oswego.

Ryan Flake was last seen Monday evening at his home in the 0-99 block of Eagle View Lane in Oswego around 8:30 p.m. His entire family was home when he wandered off, and his family called his name, but he did not respond, his aunt, Sarah Flake of South Pasadena, Calif., related in an e-mail.

"They went to neighbors' houses and he wasn't there, and they called the police, and they quickly got people from the local church together and walked through the woods calling for him. They got the hounds out there," Sarah Flake said. "It's pretty bad."

Ryan was last seen wearing tan shorts, a red shirt and glasses on with the name "Ryan" on them. He was not wearing shoes.

"He's really shy; doesn't talk very much," Sarah Flake said. "He's the kind of kid who if he wanders of, he's not going to look for help."

Ryan's parents have six children, of whom Ryan is the second youngest, and their house in located on a cul-de-sac behind a dense forest and a pond, and close to a cornfield and several acres of rolling hills, Sarah Flake said.

"The kids play outside all the time, so it's not uncommon for the kids to go outside and do their own thing, but this is not something that's anticipated, obviously," she said.

Volunteers have been searching the nearby cornfields, where the corn is knee- or chest-high in some areas. Oswego, Kendall County, and Illinois State Police have all been dispatched for the search. They are using infrared cameras, specialized vehicles and helicopters, and divers have been sent out to search nearby lakes and ponds.

"There's so much land out there that a little 3-year-old could get tangled up in," Sarah Flake said.

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/oswego.boy.missing.2.765867.html Toddler Found 12 Hours After Vanishing In Oswego Police, Volunteers Combed Area Overnight Before Finding Muddied, Dazed 3 1/2/-Year-Old OSWEGO, Ill. (CBS) ― AÂ 3 1/2-year-old boy has been found safe, a day after vanishing from his home in Oswego.Â CBS 2 confirmed that Ryan FlakeÂ was located around 8:30 a.m. "He's safe. It's the best possible ending" said his aunt, Sarah Flake of South Pasadena, Calif. The child's condition is apparently good. "From what I can hear, it sounds like he's good," she said. The boy's parents are overjoyed, as is everyone else who helped to look for him. CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman reports one officer in Kendall County said it's a wonderful morning, and a family member described it as a fairytale ending to a nightmare. More than two dozen law enforcement agencies were in on the effort to make sure that storybook ending happened, along with a number of volunteers. "I've got kids myself, five kids, and he's got kids, so we're just out here helping," said volunteer Jeff Paul. The searchers covered a lot of territory, in darkness and in light, but they never gave up on finding the toddler. He wandered away from his family-filled Oswego home Monday and within minutes disappeared into the rural surroundings. "Searching through the woods and stuff, and I imagine it being my kid," one searcher said. "It's a constant hope," Paul said. "That's all you can do. Hope; hope and pray." Ryan Flake had been missing last seen Monday evening at his home in the 0-99 block of Eagle View Lane in Oswego around 8:30 p.m. His entire family was home when he wandered off, and his family called his name, but he did not respond, his aunt, Sarah Flake of South Pasadena, Calif., related in an e-mail. "They went to neighbors' houses and he wasn't there, and they called the police, and they quickly got people from the local church together and walked through the woods calling for him. They got the hounds out there," Sarah Flake said. "It's pretty bad."Â The 12 hours before he was found left his family distraught. "He's really shy; doesn't talk very much," Sarah Flake said. "He's the kind of kid who if he wanders off, he's not going to look for help." Ryan's parents hae six children. Ryan is the second youngest. Their house in located on a cul-de-sac behind a dense forest and a pond, and close to a cornfield and several acres of rolling hills, Sarah Flake said. "The kids play outside all the time, so it's not uncommon for the kids to go outside and do their own thing, but this is not something that's anticipated, obviously," she said. Volunteers spent the morning searching the nearby cornfields, where the corn is knee- or chest-high in some areas. Oswego, Kendall County, and Illinois State Police were all dispatched for the search. They used infrared cameras, specialized vehicles and helicopters, and divers were sent out to search nearby lakes and ponds. And at just about 8:30 a.m. they heard what everyone had been waiting for. "They just told us he's found; he's OK. He's a little dazed. He's in the ambulance right now. The parents know," a woman involved in the search told reporters. Just how did they find him? A man who had work in the area and heard about Ryan's disappearance figured he'd come out to Oswego and get his job done, but keep his eyes open at the same time. A good plan, because it wasn't long before he spotted Ryan, covered head to toe in mud. "I happened to be at the right place at the right time," said Matthew Woodin. "I saw him stumbling in and out of the weeds between the retention pond and creek, right where my work has assets, and I went over to him and called 911 immediately and just brought him back to his family. I was just outside the search zone, I think, just far enough to where we were able to find him and I'm glad the family has their son back." Everyone was emotional about the morning. A family friend told CBS 2 Ryan's mother nearly jumped on the person who returned her son to her. Woodin said Ryan was excited to be in Woodin's truck and asked for milk, and that Ryan was very, very tired. His family is expected to take Ryan for a medical checkup later in the day.

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