ROBBIE WOOD Jr - 9 yo/ Autistic - Hanover VA

HANOVER, Va. --

A 9-year-old autistic boy on a walk with family disappeared into
North Anna Battlefield Park on Sunday afternoon while his father,
brother and an adult woman stopped to take a break. The search continued
throughout the night and into this morning without success.


The overnight temperature dropped to 45 degrees at 6 a.m. today, according to the National Weather Service.

Robert "Robbie" Wood Jr. was reported missing at about 2:45 p.m.
Sunday after he wandered away and left the trail. Officials said about
11 a.m. today they had still found no trace of him.

Robbie, who is non-verbal, is a student at The Faison School for Autism in Richmond.

Michael Trice, a spokesman for the Hanover County Sheriff's Office,
said air crews would continue searching for the boy, as would searchers
on the ground, including dogs.

This morning, dozens of law enforcement officers lined up on Verdon
Road on both sides of the entrance to the county park. Standing about 50
feet apart, they began methodically examining the area in a quad
search. Search dogs could be heard howling in the distance.

Crews were also searching the North Anna River, which is about 30-40
feet wide at the bottom of a steep drop-off at the northern end of the
park property.

Trice said all the searchers had been instructed by an autistic
behavioral expert on how to approach Robbie, who may be inclined to flee
if scared.

Hanover fire and EMS crews as well the Virginia State Police and the
Caroline County Sheriff's Office were assisting with the search.

Trice said the family was cooperating with authorities. Robbie's
father, who is divorced from his mother, had taken him to park with his
girlfriend and Robbie's younger brother, who is also autistic. Trice
said the group stopped to take a break and Robbie went missing after he
and his brother wandered off.

Dorothea Norman, who drives Robbie daily to and from school, said he has no speech communication ability, but can only shriek.

"I'm afraid if he gets scared he would just hide," Norman said. "He's
a wonderful little boy. My heart just goes outto the family."

Because the 80-acre park is not fenced in, there is a concern that Robbie could wander off the property, Trice said.

The area about 3 miles west of U.S. 1 has several quarries. A
Martin-Marietta quarry official said workers were given a description of
Robbie and instructed to keep on the lookout for him.

Searchers are looking for Robbie on other properties near the park,
and the sheriff's office issued a reverse 911 call to notify neighbors
to be on the lookout for the missing boy. Trice said this morning
that residents had received the reverse 911 message and responded
by surveying their property for any signs of Robbie.

Robbie is described as being of average height and weight. He was
last seen wearing a red, long-sleeved T-shirt, blue athletic pants and
blue shoes. He has blond hair and blue eyes.


Trice asked anyone who saw any of the family at the park to call the Hanover Sheriff's Office at (804) 365-6140.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/oct/23/18/hanover-police-search-for-missing-9-year-old-boy-ar-1404659/

http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-police-search-for-missing-child-at-hanover-battlefield-20111023,0,4883857.story

Police search for missing child at Hanover battlefield

HANOVER, VA (WTVR)- A full search is underway to locate a missing nine-year-old child at the North Anna Battlefield Park. The Hanover County Sheriff’s Office is currently coordinating the search effort with Hanover Fire and EMS, Virginia State Police and the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office.

The child, Robert Wood, Jr., also known as Robbie, has blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a long-sleeve red shirt, blue athletic pants and blue shoes. Robbie is described by police as average in weight and height for his age.

Police said that Robbie ran away from his family around 2:45 p.m., from one of the wooded trails along the 80-acre Civil War battlefield. He was walking with his father, younger brother and his father's girlfriend.

Police have confirmed that the young boy has autism, and that he is non-verbal. His brother, one year younger, also has autism. Robbie had recently been enrolled in The Faison School for Autism, located in Richmond.

The park is mostly wooded and overlooks the North Anna river.

Police have said that, at this point, volunteers are not needed. Emergency personnel are currently deployed within the park and in adjacent areas of the park.

The sheriff's office also said that nearby home owners have been notified and a reverse 911 phone notification has been issued to alert residents in the Doswell area that the child is missing.

The rescue operation is taking place on land, water and air. There are blood hounds tracking the child's scent. Helicopters are flying through the park using thermal imaging. Since the park backs up to the water, there are boats searching Lake Anna.

The family is from Caroline County. The mother, not originally on the excursion, is now at the scene.

Stay with CBS 6 for the latest on the search.

http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-police-search-for-missing-child-at-hanover-battlefield-20111023,0,4883857.story

http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-robbie-wood-search-day-two-20111024,0,6545639.story

Search for missing child with autism enters second day


Scott Wise CBS 6 Executive Producer

12:10 p.m. EDT, October 24, 2011
HANOVER COUNTY, VA (WTVR) - The Hanover Sheriff’s Office is telling people who want to volunteer and search for missing nine-year-old Robbie Wood Jr., to not show up at the search site.

"The Hanover Sheriff's Office is extremely appreciative of the multiple offers of help that it has received from citizens and volunteer agencies," Hanover County Sheriff's Captain Mike Trice said in a Monday afternoon a press release. "At this time, however, we ask that volunteer groups and citizens do not come to the area to assist. It is important that efforts stay coordinated to prevent accidently disturbing search trails and confusing search dogs."

Crews are actively searching for Wood who disappeared in the woods north of Richmond, Virginia Sunday.

Robbie's father says around 2:45 p.m. Sunday afternoon the child, who has autism and does not speak, ran away from his family during a hike in the woods.

Aftering looking for the child Sunday afternoon and evening, searchers called off the active search for Wood around 1:00 a.m. Monday morning. At that time, searchers were positioned at "observation points" along roads and rivers in and around North Anna Battlefield Park in Doswell, Virginia hoping to spot the child.

When the sun rose Monday morning, searchers started searching again with help from bloodhounds, from the air and by boat in the nearby North Anna River.

Wood has blonde hair and blue eye
He was last seen wearing a long-sleeve red shirt, blue athletic pants and blue shoes.

Robbie is described by police as average in weight and height for his age.

The sheriff's office used a reverse 911 phone call to notify nearby homeowners to look out for the child.


Temperatures in Central Virginia dipped into the mid-40's overnight.
http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-robbie-wood-search-day-two-20111024,0,6545639.story

Candlelight service tonight for missing boy


2:33 p.m. EDT, October 25, 2011

As the search for missing Robbie
Wood continues--now into its third day—citizens are coming forward to
help in whatever ways possible.

More than a thousand showed up to volunteer as the search operation entered its third day.

A landslide of well wishes, prayers, and questions has arisen from the concerned public. At
Firehouse 4 in Doswell, Vir., people are donating food and drinks to the
volunteers that search for Robbie.

And tonight there will be a candlelight service, organized by a Hanover resident, Denise Powell.

“I just wanted to do something,” Powell said, who has children of her own and a 9-year-old granddaughter.

Joining together to support one another “is a big thing,” she said. “I
felt that there were so many people out there looking that maybe I could
get people together to pray.”

As a country resident, Powell
said that supporting neighbors is a way of life. “We live in the
country—where people like to help one another.”

That includes the Ashland Wal-Mart,
she pointed out, who will help by donating candles for tonight’s
service. The big store has also donated supplies for the volunteers.

“If they have candles they can bring them, but candles will be there,” said Powell.

Powell is glad that the search has been opened up for “the community to get involved.”

She recalls how 15 years ago, their neighbor’s child got lost in their
woods. The child was about four years old and Powell and her husband
found the child. “For someone else to have that experience would be
wonderful.”

“Maybe tonight we will be able to rejoice together,” she said.

The candlelight service will be held tonight at 7:30pm at the Doswell
Community Center. Powell said the space, a former school, is huge, with a
football field and big parking lot. She hopes to see it filled.

The address is: 16433 Washington Highway, Doswell, Vir., 23047

Click to see it on the map.
http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-candlelight-service-tonight-for-missing-boy-20111025,0,2830715.story

DOSWELL --

Hanover County authorities are calling for hundreds of
additional volunteers to help in the search for a missing 9-year-old
autistic boy.

County sheriff's Capt. Mike Trice this morning said about 700
volunteers turned up to help look for Robbie Wood Jr., who disappeared
Sunday during a walk with family in the North Anna Battlefield Park.

Trice said another 500 searchers could be used today. Volunteers can
report to the parking area at the Kings Dominion theme park.

(This has been a breaking news update. Stay with TimesDispatch.com
for the latest developments in this story and other news events.)

11:21 a.m.



Hundreds of volunteers turned out again this morning to search in thick Hanover County woods for a lost autistic boy.

Nine-year-old Robbie Wood Jr. of Caroline County disappeared Sunday
afternoon during a walk with family in the North Anna Battlefield Park
in north-central Hanover.

Authorities hope to put 1,200 volunteers on the search today with 300 professional searchers from localities across the state.

“We are going to continue this until we find him,” said Hanover Sheriff’s Capt. Mike Trice.

Volunteers began showing up before daybreak, and the first team headed into the woods about 8 a.m.

“I don’t know what I can do, but I’ve got two hands and two feet,” said volunteer Garrett Grubbs, 34, of Chesterfield County.

(This has been a breaking news update. Stay with TimesDispatch.com
for the latest developments in this story and other news events.)

10:24 a.m.



The search for a 9-year-old autistic boy missing in Hanover County since Sunday continued into this morning without success.

Robbie Wood Jr. vanished while on a walk with family in the 80-acre North Anna Battlefield Park on Sunday afternoon.

Hundreds of volunteers joined the search Tuesday, and
authorities will again accept volunteers beginning today at 9 a.m. in
the main parking lot of Kings Dominion. They must have photo
identification and be capable of walking several miles in thick woods.

(This has been a breaking news update. Stay with TimesDispatch.com
for the latest developments in this story and other news events.)

6:06 a.m.



Nearly 900 volunteers walked through the Hanover County woods
side-by-side Tuesday, methodically looking for a lost autistic boy.

They stepped over downed trees, pushed back briars and poked piles of
brush with sticks in hopes they'd find 9-year-old Robbie Wood Jr.

"It's everybody's worst nightmare," said Waverly Bamman, 35, whose son attends the Faison School for Autism school with Robbie.

But on Tuesday, as the search entered its third day, the volunteers
and more than 300 trained professionals didn't come up with anything.

"Right now, we're determined to do it until we find Robbie," Hanover
Sheriff David Hines said during an afternoon news briefing on the
search.

The Caroline County boy disappeared while on a walk with family in
the 80-acre North Anna Battlefield Park on Sunday afternoon. His father,
Robert Wood, his brother and a female friend of Wood's had stopped to
take a break when the severely autistic boy wandered off.

Hundreds of volunteers turned out Tuesday morning at Kings Dominion,
where a line snaked through the parking lot. Some had to be turned away
because they couldn't stay all afternoon, while others simply left after
standing in line for hours, waiting to be processed.

Hines said 889 volunteers were registered, trained and deployed to
join the search that was expanded to more than 2,000 acres in and around
the park.

"Like everyone here today, our hearts are burdened with the reality
that a 9-year-old boy has been left alone in the woods for the last 48
hours," Hines said.

Taken to the site on buses, the volunteer searchers walked the
approximately 1½ miles from Verdon Road to the North Anna River.
Coordinators had mapped out grids for volunteers to walk to cover the
entire 3-square-mile area around the park.

As the volunteers stood in line, many realized they had something in
common. A number of them were connected to someone else autistic — a
son, a nephew, a neighbor, a child at school.

"I have two autistic kids at home, so this hit really close to home
for me," said Tammy Rogers of Powhatan, who was on the first bus of
volunteers sent into the woods to look for Robbie. "As a mother, you
ache."

Rogers, whose sons are both non-verbal like Robbie, said she was so
upset by Robbie's disappearance that she spent much of Monday crying.

"This is the best medicine, just to get out here," she said as she prepared to board the bus.

But later in the afternoon, as she got on the bus to go back to her
car after spending all day in the woods, she was disappointed that they
hadn't been able to locate Robbie.

"You feel like you're walking out empty handed," she said.

She said traversing the "thick, thick terrain" was difficult, and her
fellow searchers had cuts in their hands and holes in their clothes to
prove it, she said, adding that she is convinced a little child could
not have covered the same ground.

Jeremy Lawhorn of Mechanicsville said it was his first time
participating in a rescue mission, and he was surprised at the density
of the forest vegetation. Lawhorn has two sons, one of whom is the same
age as Robbie.

"I just figured the more people we have, the better chance we'll find
him quicker," he said, stepping over tree branches and brush as he
walked through the woods surrounded by other volunteers in blaze orange
vests.

The possibility that they might find Robbie dead hung in the air, but
most preferred to hold out hope that the boy could survive the cold
nighttime conditions without food. "I hope we find him. I hope he's OK,"
said Chris Southall, 24, of New Kent County.

Hines said authorities will again accept volunteers beginning today
at 9 a.m. in the main parking lot of Kings Dominion. They must have
photo identification and be capable of walking several miles in thick
woods.

"I hope most (of Tuesday's volunteers) will show back up, because
they've already been through the training and we can deploy them
quicker," he said.

The volunteer search is to resume today after personnel from Virginia
Department of Emergency Management conducted ground searches Tuesday
night, Hines said.

Battalion Chief William E. Jones with Hanover Fire and EMS said he
appreciated the outpouring of support from the community, adding that
volunteers came from as far away as Myrtle Beach, S.C.

"It is an opportunity for a regular person to come out here and do
something," he said. "It's worth every minute of it," he said.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/local-news/2011/oct/26/9/tdmain01-volunteers-to-resume-search-for-autistic--ar-1410452/

Police and volunteers are now well
into the fifth day since Robbie Wood Jr. disappeared while on a hike
with his family in Virginia on Sunday afternoon.

The boy autistic, and the local sheriff described his ability as restricting.

'This is a nine year old autistic child that has extremely limited
communication skills and absolutely no awareness of safety concerns,'
Hanover County Sheriff David Hines.
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO




Missing: Robbie Wood Jr is still missing after
he disappeared Sunday afternoon while visiting a Civil War battleground with his family

When the sheriff held his press conference, it was Tuesday morning, and he described officials as being
'confident' that they would find Robbie. Two days later, no such remarks have been made.

Robbie was last seen while on a hike in the North Anna Battlefield Park with
his father, brother and another woman. At one point as the group headed
along a trail towards the North Anna River, they noticed that Robbie was
no longer with them, and they immediately notified the sheriff's office.

With the disappearance of baby Lisa Irwin in Missouri, a case where the parents
came under fire, Mr Hines was quick to rule that out in this incident.

'We should not forget Robert's family who have been here with us since
Sunday.They have fully cooperated with all of our inquiries- any
suggestion otherwise is simply not true,' he said.


Expansive: The park is 80 acres with
well-defined trails, but it has no bordering fences so police fear
Robbie wandered outside of the park

The first step in the investigation was to call out the local bloodhound canine squad, who did smell
Robbie's scent in the park. Though that did not lead to any immediate
conclusion, officials saw it as a good thing, and proclaimed that 'our confidence is high' as a result.

One of Robbie's teachers at an autism-specific school, Ashlea Krouse, said that they do need to keep expanding their efforts.

'He doesn't usually sit still, even in the classroom,' Ms Krouse said.

'I'd imagine he'd be on the move the entire time unless he is injured,' she continued.

Ms Krouse said that his is unable to communicate with words, but he is far
from quiet, often making plenty of noise in class. That said, she did
not think he would respond if he heard his named called out by someone looking for him.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2054268/Desperate-search-missing-autistic-boy-9-wandered-Sunday-hiking-family.html#ixzz1c20uoPLK

A vigil is held in Doswell, Va., just down the road from where 9 year-old Robbie Wood Jr. disappeared on Sunday.
As near-freezing temperatures threatened to set in at nightfall, more
than 1,000 volunteers spent today searching rugged Virginia woodlands
for a 9-year-old autistic boy who has been missing since Sunday.

Carrying walking sticks and wearing yellow reflective jackets, the
searchers began lining up before dawn to be taken to the forest where
they were to look for Robert Wood, Jr.

"I have an 11 year old, and if the situation were reversed, I would hope
people would be out helping me look for her," said a man named Don who
stood in line for hours in the parking lot of an amusement park to take
part in the effort to find the boy.

Hanover County sheriff's officers say Robert, who does not speak, ran
off from his father while they were visiting North Anna Battlefield Park
on Sunday.

After five days, the search has been fruitless. Some areas of the park
have been covered by search teams at least twice. With weather
forecasters predicting temperatures in the upper 30s early Friday
morning, the effort took on new urgency today.

"We are not giving up," Hanover County Sheriff's Capt. Mike Trice said today. "Our mission is clear."

Trice acknowledges after several days of mild temperatures, it's going to be very cold in the woods early Friday morning.

"We are in a life-saving mode, definitely," Trice said.

Officials have broadened their search area to a 3.5 mile radius from
where the boy was last seen, up from 2.5 miles. They have also stopped
the flow of water into the North Anna River, to aid divers in their
search of the water.

Specialized teams will use infrared, thermal-imaging and night vision technology as they continue looking for Robert overnight.

The number of searchers has also increased.

"They said they needed more volunteers today because time is of the
essence," said Stephanie Saccone, a Richmond resident who had been
watching news coverage of the search all week.

Eddie Buchanan, division chief of Hanover County Fire/EMS, told ABC News
that so many volunteers showed up to look for Robert today that
hundreds were sent home after receiving training, in the hopes they
would return tomorrow.

No searcher goes into the field without receiving protective gear and
being taught by an autism specialist how to interact with Robert, should
they find him.

"It's so that they understand that in case they do get lucky and
encounter him, how to handle that so they don't scare him or make things
worse," Buchanan said.

"We know that he's quite a runner, he's quite a climber, quite a fast
little guy," Buchanan said, but Robert's parents tell officials he won't
respond when his name is called.

"It's such a rough terrain and such a rough situation," said Carrie
Christ, a firefighter and paramedic who drove 60 miles from York County,
about 60 miles east of Hanover, to take part in the search for a second
straight day. "I don't know why they haven't found him. They're
making every effort."

"We believe that Robbie's out there. We believe that he's alive,"
Buchanan told ABC News. "We're going to keep searching and doing
everything we possibly can, for as long as we can, until they tell us to
stop."

"You've got to be hopeful. You wouldn't be here if you weren't hopeful," said Christ.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/search-continues-robert-woods-jr-missing-mute-autistic/story?id=14827692

I have never posted here before so I hope I am doing this right. Very little information is available at this point but I live in Hanover, Virginia and the story just broke. Here is an excerpt from our local news.

Robert Wood, Jr. found alive
Posted: Oct 28, 2011 2:40 PM EDT
Updated: Oct 28, 2011 2:59 PM EDT

HANOVER, VA (WWBT) - NBC12 has just confirmed that missing eight-year-old Robert Wood, Jr. has been found alive.

Crews on the scene say Wood was discovered just west of the quarry. That's not far from the North Anna Battlefield Park where search teams have been looking for the past six days.

At this time, Wood has been flown to VCU Medical Center.

What a great post to start with chadalismom!!!

TomTerrific0420 wrote:What a great post to start with chadalismom!!!

Ditto what Tom said......chadalismom, what great news

Annabeth wrote:

TomTerrific0420 wrote:What a great post to start with chadalismom!!!

Ditto what Tom said......chadalismom, what great news

Ditto what Tom and Annabeth said, and thanking God for watching over him.

(CBS/AP) DOSWELL, Va. - Police say the Hanover County autistic boy who was missing for six days has been found alive.
Police say 8-year-old Robert Wood Jr. was found Friday afternoon near the park where he was separated from his family.
At a press conference this afternoon, Hanover County Sheriff David Hines
said the boy was found in a creek bed in the fetal position around 2
p.m. Friday and reunited with his family. Wood was in good condition but
taken to a hospital.
The boy is in the emergency room being evaluated and treated, according to CBS affiliate WTVR.
Adam Warman of the Faison School for Autism told WTVR that students at the
school were overjoyed when the announcement that their classmate had
been found was made over the loudspeaker.
"They started yelling and cheering, and crying," said Warman.
The boy, who does not speak, was reportedly found by a citizen volunteer at
a quarry about a mile from North Anna Battlefield Park where he
disappeared Sunday, Oct. 23. Police say Robert had been hiking with his
father, younger brother and his father's girlfriend.
Wood was the focus of an intense search involving thousands of volunteers around the park.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20127239-504083/missing-va-autistic-boy-found-alive-after-6-day-search/

Praise the Lord! So glad there is a happy outcome to this case. Hoping and praying the boy is fine and will recuperate quickly.

DOSWELL --

An 8-year-old autistic child who was found Friday, five days
after wandering away during a family outing, remains in stable
condition this morning at VCU Medical Center, according to a
spokeswoman there.

Robert A. Wood Jr. was found by a volunteer searcher Friday who was
looking near a quarry less than a mile from where the child was last
seen. He slipped away from his father Sunday afternoon within an 80-acre
park where during the Civil War, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee fought
off federal troops along the North Anna River.

Veteran law enforcement officers shed tears Friday over the discovery
in a creek ditch of the missing autistic boy, whose shining clear blue
eyes signaled life and relief.

"When I saw those bright eyes, well, that's all I needed to see,"
said Tony Lippa, sheriff in Caroline County, where 8-year-old Robert A.
Wood Jr. and his mother, Barbara Locker, live. The child's grandmother
once worked as a dispatcher for Lippa.

On Friday, Hanover Sheriff David Hines fought off tears describing a
herculean effort by several thousand volunteer searchers and hundreds of
professionals from across the state and from as far away as Florida who
combed over thousands of acres of dense woodlands looking for the boy.

Robert was airlifted to VCU Medical Center Children's Hospital by a
Virginia State Police helicopter shortly after 2 p.m. and was listed
Friday night in good condition.

"He was alert, his eyes were open and his respiration was fine," said
Hanover sheriff's Capt. Mike Trice, who saw the boy before he was sent
to Richmond.

"He is awake and alert and very happy to see his mom and dad and his
grandmother," said Dr. Christopher Woleben, who met with reporters at
the hospital in Richmond.

Woleben, an assistant professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics
at Virginia Commonwealth University, said Robert "is doing remarkably
well, and thank goodness we had some warm weather the past few days."

Woleben said Robert was slightly cold when he arrived from the
extreme conditions Friday. "We are currently looking at the extent of
any type of injuries that he may have from the exposure to the
elements."

Robert, who cannot communicate verbally, apparently had been moving
about the area throughout the search and may have benefited from
stockpiles of blankets and water left in the woods by rescue teams and
that were made visible at night by light sticks.

"We were picking up scent pools as recently as this morning," said
Scott Forbes, whose Dutch Shepherd, Da Wu, is trained to give an alert
on human scent from some 40,000 cells that the body sheds every minute.
Forbes said scent dogs had been throughout the area where Robert was
discovered in recent days and had alerted on coyotes as well as the
boy's scent, which tended to concentrate in low-lying areas.

"Every child is different," Forbes said of autistic children, who can easily become disoriented, especially if left alone.

William Chrimes, a search and rescue specialist with the state
Department of Emergency Services, praised trained volunteers who came
from across the state to help in the search.

Chrimes, whose wife also was part of search teams, described a
gripping scene at the command post within the park when news of the
discovery broke. "There was a lot of emotion, a lot of people trying to
compose themselves to let it all sink in and then this tremendous
feeling of a weight off our shoulders."

Chrimes said professional searchers can predict the likelihood of
locating a missing person as time goes by and conditions change, but
Robert was well past the 72-hour threshold for which models exist. "And
bad weather was moving in," Chrimes noted as showers and cooler
temperatures developed outside Friday.

"There is a God," said Sheriff Hines, invoking the power of prayer that he said seemed to be at work during the week.

Gov. Bob McDonnell on Friday praised the "true sense of community and
selflessness" displayed by those involved in the search. "I can only
imagine the fear, uncertainty and sadness that Robert's family endured
during this difficult time," he said.

Robert was in the park Sunday with his father and his father's
girlfriend as well as a younger brother who also has autism.
Investigators said perhaps five minutes passed between the time Robert
was discovered missing and a call to 911 from the family.

Last night, his mother, Barbara Locker, issued a statement from the
hospital. "He is here and safe," she said. "Thank you for your prayers,
your thoughts. Thank you for searching. He is a strong little fella."

Robert's father, who was called in from the search field to learn of
his son's discovery, thanked law enforcement agents and volunteers.
"Robert is a very strong and determined little boy. We never gave up
hope that he would return home."

"Whenever a child is missing, everyone wants to step up," said Hines,
adding that rescue experts said they have never been involved in so
extensive an effort. "No one on the team ever gave up, and I have to say
that there were some times that you just had to reach down and find
that faith that we were going to find him."

While it seemed remarkable that Robert could have gone undetected
for so long given the massive effort to find him, Chrimes and other
experts said Friday that it is not unusual for autistic children to
purposely avoid being found. Some manifestations of autism result in a
high tolerance of pain and little fear of the dark or the unknown,
Chrimes and others said.

"He could have thought it was a game," said Forbes, president of Om
Ma Ni International Search, which has been involved in numerous hunts
for autistic children.

Trice said that because Robert was not receiving medication, his hyperactivity may have increased.

About 350 people had been deployed by 9 a.m. Friday as the search
picked up anew, most of them repeat volunteers who already had been
registered and trained.

Nine specialty search-and-rescue teams were used to comb an area near the river.

The search-team staging area was moved from Kings Dominion to nearby
Meadow Event Park on Friday so as to not to conflict with Halloween
weekend events at the theme park.

Trice also announced that a volunteer on his second day of searching
collapsed from a heart attack Thursday at the Kings Dominion parking
lot. Rodney Clifton, 50, of Henrico County is being treated at a local
hospital, he said.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/oct/28/50/hundreds-of-volunteers-turn-out-for-search-despite-ar-1417760/

The father of an 8-year-old autistic boy who was found safe
after having been missing for five days in Hanover County said Tuesday
that he wanted to "clear up some things that were said about me in a
negative light."
Robbie Wood issued a statement by email and said
at the outset that his son was doing better and that he wanted to thank
those who took part in the search and rescue of Robert Wood Jr.
Earlier
Tuesday, the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star reported that doctors had
found a hole in the boy's esophagus. The report said he was in stable
condition at VCU Medical Center.
The child's grandmother, Norma
Jean Williams, told the Fredericksburg newspaper in a story published
Tuesday that she believes the tear stems from something the boy tried to
eat while he was alone in the woods.
Wood wandered off from his
father and others Oct. 23 while on a walk at North Anna Battlefield
Park. He was found Friday at a nearby rock quarry by one of thousands of
volunteers who had helped search for the boy.
Without specifying who had criticized him, the boy's father issued this statement:
"I would like to clear up some things that were said about me in a negative light.
"It
has not been months since I have seen my boys. I try to see them every
weekend, however, sometimes I am not able to. It is not my effort that
keeps me from them. I take them to North Anna Battlefield Park all the
time. It is a beautiful place that keeps the boys active, and it is not
very crowded which takes away a lot of distractions so that I can watch
them better. There are many other parks we go to as well. I have never
been told not to take them to that park or any other.
"I am sorry I
have not been available for comment, but I have not left the hospital
for more than about an hour. A sick child's bedside is no place for
phone calls to reporters.
"Though I do not have a lot of money, I
consider myself to be the one of the wealthiest men in the world. … My
wealth is in my two little boys. They are the world to me, and I hope
nobody could possibly think any different."
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/nov/02/tdmet02-father-of-autistic-boy-issues-statement-ar-1427837/

Hanover authorities will not pursue criminal charges in
connection with the disappearance 11 days ago of an autistic 8-year-old
boy.

Hanover County Commonwealth's Attorney Ramon C. "Trip"
Chalkley issued a statement this morning saying that no charges "can be
supported legally and/or factually."

Robert A. Wood Jr.,
disappeared Oct. 23 during a visit with his father, his brother and the
father's girlfriend at North Anna Battlefield Park in Hanover.

The child was located five days later in a creek bed after a massive
search that attracted some 6,000 volunteer searchers, one of the largest
in state history.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Norma J. Williams, the boy's grandmother,
said after hearing of the prosecutor's decision. "I think something
needs to be done." Williams said the boy's father was responsible for
the son during the outing. The father, Robbie Wood, said earlier this
week that he had been criticized but cared properly for the youngster.

In a separate statement, Hanover County Sheriff's Department commented on the information it turned over to the prosecutor.

"The
investigation revealed that the circumstances that led to the Robert A.
Wood Jr. missing child investigation did not rise to the level that
would necessitate criminal charges," the sheriff's department said in a
news release. "In addition, there is conclusive evidence that Robert A.
Wood Jr. was in the wooded area alone, near the North Anna Battlefield
Park, between October 23, when he was reported missing, and October 28,
when he was found by a citizen.

"The citizen who found Robert A.
Wood Jr. has cooperated fully with Investigators and every aspect of his
discovery has been validated. There is no cause whatsoever to conclude
that his actions were anything other than honorable," the sheriff's
office said.

No further elaboration was immediately provided on the comments.

The
sheriff's department thanked the thousands of volunteers who turned out
for the search and said the response allowed officials to organize grid
formations that "allowed a wider area to be covered in a relatively
brief period of time."

Williams said she and her daughter,
Barbara Locker, are working with the Caroline County sheriff's office
to obtain bracelets that can be used to locate missing persons.

"The sheriff offered these to us years ago but we felt like they would
just come off and it got swept under the rug. That was our fault," she
said.

Locker and her two sons, both autistic, live in the
Ruther Glen area of Caroline, several miles north of park where Robert
was lost.

Robert is expected to be released from VCU Medical Center shortly but a specific time and day has not been announced publicly.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/nov/03/6/hanover-prosecutor-says-no-charges-case-missing-bo-ar-1432343/

An 8-year-old autistic boy who spent five days alone in the woods has been released from a Virginia hospital.
Media
outlets report that Robert Wood Jr. was released from VCU Medical
Center in Richmond over the weekend. The Caroline County boy suffered a
small hole in his esophagus and other minor injuries.
Wood
wandered off from his father and others Oct. 23 while on a walk at North
Anna Battlefield Park in Hanover County. One of the thousands of
volunteers who searched for the boy found him at a nearby rock quarry on
Oct. 28.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
says the search for Wood ranks among the most intense on record. More
than 3,400 people participated in the search.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/nov/13/us-missing-autistic-boy/

I am so glad Robbie is doing well and hope he heals from his tragic experience. I do believe that parents should put gps devices on any child (and adult age too) that are unable to communicate like autistic children. I know they make devices like this so I hope this incident brings more attention to the importance of protecting disabled children.