Written by Pat Dooris 10/18/06
I spent the last three days in Southern Oregon near Crater Lake. We were there to report on the search for 8 year old Sammy Boehlke, a Portland boy who disappeared Saturday October 14th.
The boy and his father were staying at Diamond Lake which is 25 miles to the north. According to search coordinators they decided to take a scenic drive around Crater Lake.
The father stopped his car on the north side of the lake near the Cleetwood Cove trail head.
Searchers were told the boy and father walked up a slight side hill across the road from the lake, then the boy sprinted ahead. The father lost sight of him and could not find him.
The father later told searchers the boy has autistic type behavior--although he's never been diagnosed with it. Searchers were also told he likes to hide.
Sammy is 8 years old.
I have an 8 year old son named Patrick.
Covering the search is like walking into a personal nightmare.
I've never lost a child, but I've come close.
When my boys were young, we took them to OMSI in downtown Portland. Being the good husband and father, I volunteered to watch our two while my wife, Jackie, explored an exhibit in the museum.
We went to the sand box in the room reserved for young children.
Things were going fine until I started chatting with some of the other dads and watched with only one eye as Patrick toddled away.
I didnt go after him because we were in an enclosed room full of fun tables where Patrick loved to play.
When Jackie returned five minutes later she asked, "where's Patrick?"
"Oh-he's right around here somewhere", I said.
She was back seconds later. "No he's not. He's not anywhere in this room!"
A woman next to us said "You'd better call security right now---someone could have him!"
I stopped breathing. I ran through the room looking for him. On the back wall I found a series of office doors and opened every one --- no one had seen him.
I dashed outside the room and began a frantic search.
Minutes later Jackie called out that she had him. He'd found his way into a room in the children's area labelled "nursing mothers". It was the only one I did not check.
I will never forget that feeling of panic and terror.
I'm sure its a million times worse for Sammy's father and the rest of his family.
As I write this its been four days since he disappeared.
The first night, the weather was cold and rainy. That was Saturday. Sunday it rained all day long. Sunday night was cold again. Monday it snowed six inches.
Tuesday and Wednesday were clear but cold. The temperature dipped below thirty degrees each night.
Searchers raced to the area as soon as they got the call for help. But Crater Lake is a long ways from anywhere.
Park Service workers got to the scene first, Saturday night, and looked for the boy until two or three in morning.
More crews arrived Sunday---bringing horses and dogs and mountaineering knowledge.
But despite their best efforts---there's been no sign of the boy.
I've tried talking with a few about the emotional tug they feel to drop everything and come to the search. Most shrug it off---which doesnt mean its not there.
The Yosemite High Angle rescue team hit the road two hours after getting the call to help Sunday night. It took them more than ten hours to reach Crater Lake.
Their spokesman said he himself has two small children and would do what ever he could.
A member of the Corvallis Mountain Rescue team admitted he too has an 8 year old. He wouldn't go on camera, he said, because he knew he'd cry thinking about the missing child. His eyes welled up as he said that.
Its an amazing group of people who rushed here to help find a child.
I wonder what they're thinking and feeling as they trudge through the snow day after day with no results.
I suspect many of them focus on the immediate task at hand and try not to think of a little boy, lost and freezing in the wilderness.
I tried that too.
But when the immediate tasks are done--- emotion creeps in and sleeping is not easy.
I woke twice to nightmares of a boy reaching out for help.
Since he is frightened by noise, I wonder if they have tried using other methods of bringing him out of hiding, if that is the case. This poor kid has to be starving... is there any way they can barbecue food so the smell would bring him out? I know that sounds dumb, but it would be a like a beacon and perhaps he could follow the smell .. I can't imagine how kids get lost so quick but I know they do. Even a bright fire at night might allow him to find his way back to searchers.
I have been keeping up on the news with the missing 8 year old boy. My husband and I can't imagine what the parents must be going through, but we can relate to the boy.
My husband and I have 2 girls, one is 8 years old diagnosed with ASD ( Autism Spectrum Disorder)and our little 5 year old who has other learning disabilities. I don't know if I can give you input as to where the boy is but I want to give it a shot. For example our daughter likes waterfalls running down the stream. Could he be by water? Our daughter likes music alot specially "The little Einsteins " theme. Maybe this boy likes to listen to a favorite song that he will respond to? Is this boy a good climber at home? maybe he has climbed a tree and doesn't know how to get down? If he likes to hide maybe his parents or the neighborhood kids at home play the hide and seek game where they count and holler " Ready or not here I come"? This may sound silly to some people but when it comes to kids with special needs even using these methods is helpful in communicating with them.
I hope for all the best for the family into finding this boy.
Pat, I have had the same feelings you have had. I too have an 8 year old (and a 5 year old). I think about this poor little boy a lot during the my day, and check local news websites several times a day hoping to see that he will be found safe. I would love to come help the search myself, but I need to care for my own kids. God bless all those people who are tirelessly searching. I am sure the family of this boy appreciates each and every one. God bless Sammie's family. My prayers are with them, Sammie and all the searchers.
I have a son who is Severely Autistic. He will be 8 in January. My son has ran off and disapeared so many times. My son can't communicate either. My heart goes out to his family. It's the worst feeling in the world when you don't know where your child is. I just hope and pray that he is still alive.
could you please tell me what kind of Autism that little Sammy had that makes him sensitive to loud noises. God bless that poor little child and I pray every night that he is found.
I was very disapointed that no one researched Sensory Intergration Disorder before saying it was a form of high functioning Autism. These are two different problems that sometimes show up in the same child.
I have a six year old with SID, and it's very difficult helping parents of his peers and teachers understand that he is not developmentally disabled (in fact he is gifted) when the media help to confuse the issues even more.
The missing boy has a much harder time in life because of his two problems, but if he just had SID, he wouldn't have run off in that fashion.
I pray for strength for the family, and I hope that you clear this mislabeling up.
I am a family friend to this poor family. Actually my son who is 8 has ASD and is Sam's best friend. Sam has Asperger's Syndrome, he has alot of sensory issues, this is why the loud noises scare him. My son has the same issues as Sam and I have been talking with dispatch down at Crater Lake. Please keep Sam and his family in your prayers.
As the father of a 7 year old moderately Autistic son. This story strikes deep to my wife and I.
We know he would not realize he is lost for quite some time, then upon realizing he is lost - go into panic mode and hide.
Once he hides, he will not respond to calls, music, or anything else. Only a human touch will bring him out of his panic response.
The autism locks the brain in the panic state since it can't make sense of the environment.
Our most sincere and deepest wishes for a positive outcome to the parents and child.
I hate to be so negative, beacause I too have an autistic boy, and sometimes he is hard to handle, but at least I have family to help me. I can't believe that with all the terrain they have covered, and as many people that they have had helping, they have found NOTHING. Not a sign. I just have to ask if the parents are being questioned. I mean why wait 2 hours or whatever before flagging someone down, and why not run after Sammy instead of watching him dissapear over the hill. I mean come on. This only irritates me cause I know of a couple who pay someone to take care of their autistic son who is 25 and they don't even visit, they go on trips and don't take him. Because they can't handle him. Maybe the parents couldn't handle Sammy. I mean forgive me for being negative, but this really bothers me.
Nicely worded Patrick... Your personalization of an already tragic story makes it hit home even harder. Keep praying
- brother bill
My heart goes out to the family and Sammy. I too have an 8 year old who likes to run ahead and has gotten lost, tho briefly, a couple times. In those few minutes of looking your heart sinks, I can't imagine hours or days of not knowing. Having to leave the site of last seeing him and not knowing where he is. So very sad. Thinking of you Sammy. God Bless.