May 31, 2006 in Nation/World

Missing boy found alive after four days

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CANON CITY, Colo. – An 8-year-old boy who wandered away from his campsite over the weekend was found Tuesday after searchers investigated a report of a crying child in a remote canyon.

“He’s alive and well,” said Zack Slutzky of Western State Mountain Rescue in Gunnison and a spokesman for the operation.

Evan Thompson was found roughly 4 1/2 miles from where he had been camping with family friends and a teacher, and was being evacuated to a hospital.

He wandered away from the campsite Saturday morning after eating breakfast.

Nearly 100 rescuers and three aircraft searched for the boy in rugged country about 90 miles south of Denver. The area is dotted with pinon pine and juniper trees and creased by steep cliffs and narrow ravines.

Rescuers and his family remained optimistic throughout the search that the boy could survive in the clothes he was wearing because the weather had been mild.

“He’s a pretty resilient little boy, he’s a great kid,” said Teddi Gray, the boy’s legal guardian and aunt, shortly before he was found.

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