UPDATE: Child found safe in West Seattle after helicopter, ground search

| Helicopter | High Point | West Seattle news

11:24 PM: The Guardian One helicopter is helping Seattle Police search for a missing child. There’s no official bulletin out about him but what we heard on police radio was that he’s 9 years old, Black, about 4’5″, in a pink shirt. No other info about description or circumstances, so far.

11:49 PM: No word of the child’s whereabouts yet, nor have police issued a bulletin asking for the public’s help. Listening back to police-radio discussion from before the helicopter dispatch caught our attention, they are looking into the possibility he’s with a family member other than the one who reported him missing.

12:04 AM: Police have just now tweeted the child’s photo and name.

12:23 AM: Per scanner, the aforementioned family member has told police she has the child and he’s safe.

12:47 AM: Police have confirmed in person that he’s OK.

Neighbor January 28, 2021 (11:30 pm)

Thanks for posting, now I’m hearing sirens, over by Holden and 16th

BETSY HOFFMEISTER January 28, 2021 (11:30 pm)

How can we help? Where is this? Do we need people to go help?

WSB January 28, 2021 (11:32 pm)

I’m sorry, I have very little info so far.

Wswhat? January 28, 2021 (11:33 pm)

I don’t imagine that every missing child gets helicopter support here in seattle. What’s different or unique about this one? Was it an abduction or violent crime?

WSB January 28, 2021 (11:38 pm)

Whether anything gets helicopter attention is contingent on, among other things, whether the helicopter is even available, which often it’s not. It’s been used for far less urgent purposes. In the middle of the night, in an area with numerous adjacent greenbelts, it would seem potentially helpful to say the least.
Anne January 29, 2021 (7:33 am)

For one thing -the helicopter has infrared technology-when it’s available as WSB said- could be extremely useful at for night search .
Dugan January 29, 2021 (9:42 am)

Just curious- what if it was your child? Doesn’t seem excessive to me at all considering our terrain and time of night.
- Joe January 29, 2021 (7:08 pm)
  
  If it was my child lost in the middle of the night I’d want 100 helicopters looking for them.
Buddy January 29, 2021 (1:28 pm)

We will Never know or find out the real story on why the boy left and why a helicopter was sent to look for him. But due to the stress that some children may be going through due to the COVID-19 I think it is best not to judge, instead just be happy that the 9 or 10 year old was found and get get help and the family can get the resources in the community to help out what is going on.

Tahara Chapman January 28, 2021 (11:51 pm)

Can we make a search party?! Community involvement?!

SJ January 29, 2021 (12:35 am)

So glad he is safe – will sleep better now! Thank you WSB and good night everyone.

JES January 29, 2021 (5:40 am)

Why wasn’t an amber alert sent to our phones?

WSB January 29, 2021 (9:52 am)

Common misconception that AMBER Alerts are for any child that goes missing. They are for cases where the child is believed to be in danger – kidnapped, etc.
https://amberalert.ojp.gov/about/guidelines-for-issuing-alerts

C. G. Banks January 29, 2021 (12:06 pm)

If it had been my nine- year old child who was missing, I would have appreciated that my taxes were being used to Locate him. It sounds to me that technical devices were used effectively in locating this child. C. G. Banks