Missing Boy Returns Search Called Off; Friend Says Pair Were At Party

A 14-year-old Hayden, Idaho, boy returned home Tuesday morning after search teams spent more than 10 hours looking for him and a friend.

Colin Bean showed up at his friend’s Coeur d’Alene home, Kootenai County sheriff’s officials said.

Bean’s parents saw their son and his friend, Travis Deitz, 14, playing outside Bean’s home on Lookout Drive about 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

Bean’s parents found a note saying, “Went exploring, be back by 6 p.m.”

When the boys didn’t return, Bean’s father called Kootenai County sheriff’s deputies.

Search teams on foot and snowmobile began scouring the area around Canfield Mountain about 1 a.m. Monday. Search dogs also were called in.

They found no signs that the boys went into the woods, Sgt. Andy Boyle said.

Teams were called off about noon Monday, and the case was sent to a detective investigating runaway cases, Boyle said.

Deitz returned home about 3:30 that afternoon.

Another search for Bean was about to begin Monday night, when Deitz told deputies he and Bean got into an argument and separated in the woods.

After deputies questioned Deitz further, he admitted the two were at a party at a Coeur d’Alene motel, Boyle said.

It’s unclear where Bean was while he was missing.

The search cost about $1,000, but the families more than likely won’t be billed for it, Boyle said.

“Our department has never done that.”

Boyle admitted it was frustrating spending time searching for the boys in the snow-covered area.

But, he said, “Until you can prove otherwise, you have to go ahead with the search.”