A Cranberry Lake boy was found safe after going missing for 24 hours from his New York home. State police confirm that 12-year-old Harris Smith showed up just fine at 11 a.m. on Sunday. North Country Public Radio reports that the boy went missing Saturday morning and an extensive search for him ensued, which involved state police and local volunteers from the Clifton-Fine area in frigid temperatures. Summer homes currently vacant were primarily focused on in the search.
“He’s home!!! He’s home!!! Safe and sound. Please spread the word. You are all so amazing. Thank you,” Smith’s family wrote on their Facebook page.
According to the family, Smith was out walking his dog — a black-and-tan Chihuahua.
As Fox 7 News initially reported, the Cranberry Lake boy went missing from a small community in the northern Adirondacks, which is about an hour drive from the Canadian border. He was described as five-foot, eight-inches tall and weighing 150 pounds. When he was last seen, Smith wasn’t appropriately dressed for the weather. He had on a black jacket, red flannel pants, and a pair of black sneakers. He was reportedly accompanied by his dog.
It was mentioned in an earlier report by police that Harris Smith made comments about running away from home.
Authorities aren’t saying what Smith was up to for the last 24 hours or where he spent his time.
A similar incident just happened with an 11-year-old girl — Kimari McIver. She went missing for 24 hours in Detroit last week after leaving home without notifying anyone. The Inquisitr wrote on this report about McIver leaving Thursday morning and returning home by 11 a.m. Friday. Authorities didn’t reveal any other details other than she returned home safe. Like Harris Smith, she left home unprepared for the harsh winter climate.
McIver’s mother said that her daughter had been in trouble for communicating with older men on social media and was grounded from her cell phone. She was caught Wednesday using another phone and was gone the next day. Police, neighbors, and volunteers searched for the girl. Her mother went on the news begging for her daughter to come back and that she wouldn’t be in any trouble if she just returned home.
In the instance of the missing Detroit girl and Cranberry Lake boy, both had a good ending in what was a complete nightmare for their parents. Whenever cases of missing children make news, the outcome is often devastating or tragic.
[Photo Credit: Smith Family Facebook Page via N. Country Public Radio ]
