tidoublegger
<font color=purple>Crazy People Don't Know They're
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- Mar 6, 2003
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The following story is from my local paper...my fire dept had been looking for Andrew since Friday. As an EMT, I have been working shifts at staging areas during the past few days. The elation of all of the fire/ems/police/rescue personnel was unbelievable last night at the station! It's nice to have a happy ending, especially since it's been 90's, humid etc around here and after over 100 hrs of being missing, hope was dwindling. Thought I'd share this good news, especially to the folks around here in MA that have been following the story!
Missing teen found
By Sara Withee / News Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
MILLIS -- The search for an autistic teen missing since last Thursday ended in victory, relief and exhaustion last night in the woods off Lake Street in Norfolk.
A day after rescuers halted their intense three-day search in Millis, Andrew Grant was found in a wooded area near 32 Lake St., about 2 1/2 miles from his home, Fire Chief Warren Champagne said. He was lying in a wooded area, about 20 yards off the street.
Grant, who turns 15 today, was dehydrated and covered with cuts and mosquito bites. He did not appear to have any other injuries but was flown by Medflight helicopter to Children's Hospital in Boston as a precaution, officials said.
"I'm glad we found him," Millis police Detective Domenic Tiberi said. "Today was (an) unbelievable day. The family is just, you can't even describe what they're feeling right now."
Champagne said "as the days went on, today was probably the worst day we spent." But the longest search he recalls in 30 years ended just the way he wanted.
"We're so happy for the family," Champagne said. "It's also a big relief for all the men who were involved in the operation. I want to thank everybody. And I can't even begin to list them all, but I will personally thank everyone, if I can ever figure this whole thing out."
Hundreds of police officers, firefighters and civilians filled Millis this weekend to help search the 1.3-mile area around 39 Myrtle St., where Grant lives with his grandparents.
He ran off apparently angry Thursday afternoon, but his grandparents did not alert Millis police until Friday morning because he had just done the same thing two days earlier. Millis police quickly located him that time.
The search of the wooded area off Himelfarb and Myrtle streets that began Friday proved more trying. The police officers and firefighters who came from several counties, and nearly 200 civilian volunteers, were slowed by 90-degree temperatures and a false sighting through the woods on Saturday that ended up being a neighborhood boy.
Divers, meanwhile, combed a 2-mile stretch of the nearby Charles River, while a state helicopter circled overhead. At least six search dogs also scoured the area at all times, Tiberi said.
Because Grant's family said he is scared of police and may be hiding, rescuers wanted to be thorough. But by Sunday night, they called the search off.
Yesterday, Millis police alerted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Web site about Grant's disappearance and contacted autism professionals for more help.
Tiberi and a Walpole detective also continued to investigate reported local sightings, along with others as far away as Chatham, Fall River and Boxborough, Tiberi said. Most of the tips from distant communities were quickly ruled out because the descriptions didn't match, Tiberi said. The problem with the local weekend sightings was no one was there by the time police followed up and police only received one report of each, Tiberi said. Tiberi said he moved on the Lake Street sightings last night because it was the first area he received two potential tips.
He called in Millis and Norfolk firefighters to search the area after going to question neighbors to make sure the sightings didn't match the descriptions of any children living in the area.
Stephen Main, a volunteer Millis firefighter of five years, said he was out of the fire truck for less than a minute when his flashlight came across Grant.
"This is why we get on the fire department," he said last night.
Officials say Grant told them his name last night but said little else. While uncertain if Grant had any access to food and water during his four days in the woods, Champagne said he suspects he did. A homeowner in the Lake Street area reported at the rescue scene he had heard noises in his garage earlier that night, Champagne said.
"He probably was accessing some kind of water," Champagne said. "He's been out there for a long time."
Missing teen found
By Sara Withee / News Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
MILLIS -- The search for an autistic teen missing since last Thursday ended in victory, relief and exhaustion last night in the woods off Lake Street in Norfolk.
A day after rescuers halted their intense three-day search in Millis, Andrew Grant was found in a wooded area near 32 Lake St., about 2 1/2 miles from his home, Fire Chief Warren Champagne said. He was lying in a wooded area, about 20 yards off the street.
Grant, who turns 15 today, was dehydrated and covered with cuts and mosquito bites. He did not appear to have any other injuries but was flown by Medflight helicopter to Children's Hospital in Boston as a precaution, officials said.
"I'm glad we found him," Millis police Detective Domenic Tiberi said. "Today was (an) unbelievable day. The family is just, you can't even describe what they're feeling right now."
Champagne said "as the days went on, today was probably the worst day we spent." But the longest search he recalls in 30 years ended just the way he wanted.
"We're so happy for the family," Champagne said. "It's also a big relief for all the men who were involved in the operation. I want to thank everybody. And I can't even begin to list them all, but I will personally thank everyone, if I can ever figure this whole thing out."
Hundreds of police officers, firefighters and civilians filled Millis this weekend to help search the 1.3-mile area around 39 Myrtle St., where Grant lives with his grandparents.
He ran off apparently angry Thursday afternoon, but his grandparents did not alert Millis police until Friday morning because he had just done the same thing two days earlier. Millis police quickly located him that time.
The search of the wooded area off Himelfarb and Myrtle streets that began Friday proved more trying. The police officers and firefighters who came from several counties, and nearly 200 civilian volunteers, were slowed by 90-degree temperatures and a false sighting through the woods on Saturday that ended up being a neighborhood boy.
Divers, meanwhile, combed a 2-mile stretch of the nearby Charles River, while a state helicopter circled overhead. At least six search dogs also scoured the area at all times, Tiberi said.
Because Grant's family said he is scared of police and may be hiding, rescuers wanted to be thorough. But by Sunday night, they called the search off.
Yesterday, Millis police alerted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Web site about Grant's disappearance and contacted autism professionals for more help.
Tiberi and a Walpole detective also continued to investigate reported local sightings, along with others as far away as Chatham, Fall River and Boxborough, Tiberi said. Most of the tips from distant communities were quickly ruled out because the descriptions didn't match, Tiberi said. The problem with the local weekend sightings was no one was there by the time police followed up and police only received one report of each, Tiberi said. Tiberi said he moved on the Lake Street sightings last night because it was the first area he received two potential tips.
He called in Millis and Norfolk firefighters to search the area after going to question neighbors to make sure the sightings didn't match the descriptions of any children living in the area.
Stephen Main, a volunteer Millis firefighter of five years, said he was out of the fire truck for less than a minute when his flashlight came across Grant.
"This is why we get on the fire department," he said last night.
Officials say Grant told them his name last night but said little else. While uncertain if Grant had any access to food and water during his four days in the woods, Champagne said he suspects he did. A homeowner in the Lake Street area reported at the rescue scene he had heard noises in his garage earlier that night, Champagne said.
"He probably was accessing some kind of water," Champagne said. "He's been out there for a long time."
