Missing Raymond boy found safe
A 10-year-old Raymond boy who had been reported missing earlier in the day was located safe and sound late Monday afternoon.
A missing persons notice for Myles Gilbert was sent out by Town of Raymond Monday afternoon after he failed to attend class at Raymond Elementary School despite his family seeing him depart for school at 7:40 a.m.
A number of community members took up the search for the boy throughout the day alongside local police and the Lethbridge and Area Search and Rescue Association.
While few official details were provided to media representatives by local authorities as of press time, Gilbert was located safe and sound, Raymond RCMP confirmed.
Gilbert's grandmother, Jackie Thornhill, later told reporters she was grateful for all the support she and her family received from the community in the search for her grandson.
“We actually posted on our Facebook pages,” she explained. “We posted on Raymond and Area Discussion. And then the Town put something on their Facebook page and their Town website. The elementary school sent out a message in the parent message site (app). They also posted something on their Facebook site. People just kept coming, ‘Can we help? Can we help?’ We said, ‘We just need him found, and please come help us look for him.’ People were looking in cars. Looking on foot. Crawling in through culverts, and everything they could think of ….
“In this town everywhere you drove there were at least five cars coming toward you, and at least five cars behind you. Cars going the other way, and it was just the town was blanketed in no time flat.”
Thornhill said her family was beyond grateful to have her grandson safely home at the end of the day.
“It was just total elation,” she said. “I was just so excited and happy, and relieved, and just every emotion you can imagine on the good side. It has been a roller-coaster of a day, that’s for sure.”
Gilbert's older brother, T.J., also expressed his joy at having his brother found safe.
“Me and Myles used to fight a lot,” he said. “And then I go to school and figure out he is missing, and all of a sudden I realized just how much he means to me. My grandpa, every time we fight, says, ‘One way or another words, whether it’s the hard way or the easy way, you’re going to learn he is going to be your only brother. And he will be the only brother you will have for the rest of your life. You will be stuck with him until you die.’ And before, I was like ‘Yeah, yeah I know. You’ve told me this every time. You don’t have to tell me this again.’ But now that this has happened, I realize just how important Myles is in my life.”
— With files from Ian Martens. Follow @TimKalHerald on Twitter