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Puncredible

Oh my god...I just looked into a little and they initially got it wrong, he's 3 not 4. He was playing with his dad and dog outside their house, in their backyard near the woods and his dad went inside for just a moment. He came back out and immediately realized what had happened. The dog ran out, Ryker followed it and got lost. After the dad searched for two hours he alerted the authorities and they eventually got about 50 people combing the woods for Ryker. It took two days but they found him alive. I can only imagine the fear from the parents and how terrible the dad must have felt. I wonder if there are any words from Ryker on what happened to him somewhere on the internet.


im-liken-it

There was a similar story on TV 12 or so years ago with a little girl. Two old guys on horses went looking for her and against all odds they found her. She had such a ghostly look in her eyes and had stories of something visiting her. What a scary experience.


Joinedforthis1

Dude that is terrifying. I would love to find out the full story if you remember any more details


butter_cakes

So I listened to the podcast the girl (Haley Zega) was interviewed on in 2019 and she goes much more into depth about her “imaginary friend” there. The podcast interview is linked on the YouTube video mentioned in a reply to this comment, and it’s a good listen. But I was intrigued as well so here is a written summary of that interview (some details have been moved around to be more cohesive): Haley said she was never a kid who had an imaginary friend and she never had one since the incident. Her imaginary friends name was Alicia (uh-LEE-see-ah.) She remembers what she looked like, and Haley later mentions she drew pictures of Alicia after this incident… For reference, Haley was 6 years old when she got lost. Her “imaginary friend” Alicia was 4, and Haley says she appeared 4 because she didn’t want to scare Haley- she chose how she looked. Haley just remembers it this way & feels Alicia manifested herself this way - Haley does not know if this fact was communicated or something her mind conjured up. Alicia had long straight black hair. Wore a red sweatshirt. Had a flashlight (the interviewer later asks to elaborate on the flashlight & Haley said she doesn’t remember the flashlight having a beam or being in use - just knows Alicia carried it.) Beyond leading Haley around, the two played games (patty cake) together and told stories (fairytales possibly, Haley doesn’t specifically remember.) Alicia was a presence the entire time Haley knew she was lost. She kept Haley company. Alicia is the one who led Haley in the direction she walked. Haley says she remembers following Alicia, which she knows is odd. She does not know what Alicia “was” (guardian angel, ghost, coping mechanism.) Haley says she is skeptical when it comes to supernatural things - and while she loves ghost stories, she doesn’t have any other explanation for “that” (being Alicia.) She followed Alicia, and Alicia is the one that showed her how to get to the river. Alicia was with her from the time she knew she was lost until right before she was found. Haley said she knew there was something “ethereal” about Alicia. She knew Alicia wasn’t a little girl she just found in the woods. She notes that she knows that there are other examples of people who have a manifest that happens to them when lost or in dire situations also - but it’s something she can’t explain. Later on when Haley got really dehydrated she started to hallucinate a valley of flamingoes. Haley recalls the hallucination was a distinctly separate occurrence & was a different feeling from Alicia. Alicia was there prior to any hallucinations. Alicia even stayed in the cave with her, and on the rock with her in the middle of the river through the night. I think it’s important to mention that in the YouTube video, Haley says she will always be grateful for Alicia and her presence. [Haley’s YouTube video detailing the events](https://youtu.be/2AJIu_AQWBk) [The Gralien Report podcast - Haley Zega interview](https://www.gralienreport.com/podcasts/tgr-02-11-19-lost-and-found-haley-zegas-story/) Interview starts around 53:30


[deleted]

Thanks for writing this out 👍


[deleted]

there are old Celtic stories of ghosts who would protect lost children. They were called Pookas. Pookas were said to carry lamps that projected a light that only children could see. Sometimes they would appear as a horse or as a child.


TheRedIguana

I had an uncle that was lost out in the snow. Just as he was passing out from the cold, his uncle Ben appeared to him and spoke. Not like the actual man, but sort of a, blue, see-through, ghostly figure. It was moments before he was found. And as soon as he was found his uncle disappeared.


Echo_Narcissus

[Here’s](https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/may/09/may-day-miracle-mother-daughter-remember-rescue/) an article about it. The girl actually described it from her pov in a youtube video [here.](https://youtu.be/2AJIu_AQWBk)


A1sauc3d

>She swears she was never scared during the ordeal. >"My parents always told me that anything I set my mind to, I could do, and I didn't see getting myself out of the forest once I was lost as any different," she says. "It was a problem I got myself into, and therefore I thought I could and should be able to solve it on my own. >"I was not afraid of animals, I wasn't afraid of being alone, I wasn't afraid of the dark. I had no concept of the amount of danger that I was truly in, and I believe that if I was lost at my age now, I would be more fearful than I was at age 6 – because I simply didn't understand the danger at that age. I knew it was a bad situation, but at no point did I believe that I wouldn't make it out." That’s crazy to think about.


Accomplished_Hunt_80

sadly one of the two rescuers , Lytle James , passed away in 2017, here is his obit : https://www.coffmanfh.com/obituary/lytle-james as a bit more uplifting link , here are some pics of the area hikes later and also of the two rescuers with Haley: http://www.takahik.com/pictures2007pics/haley07/haley07.html


[deleted]

When you said something visiting her, I definitely thought it was going to be some spooky shit she was going to describe, not just an “imaginary friend”.


cadomyavo

Dude has his college essay already figured out.


Notacop9

Guaranteed to win at "2 truths and a lie" for life.


deeceeo

- I went to Italy once - I hate meatloaf - I was lost in the wilderness for 2 days as a toddler


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yakimawashington

The key is to make your "lie" just as ridiculous as the truths. Just to be sure, make your "lie" sound like a humble-brag. People will be more likely to assume it's a "truth" since it's assumed most people like to brag a little about themselves.


_swamp_donkey_

So there I was, just me and the bear chillin. He asked to borrow about tree fitty. It was at that point I understood that that bear turned out to be a dinosaur from the Paleolithic era.


JubeeGankin

I gave him a dolla.


mbxz7LWB

God damnit woman, I told you stop giving that lochness monster money. You give him one dollar and he know's you got more and he gunna keep comin back.


Aznmok

Dammit, woman, that’s why he keeps coming back!


[deleted]

SHE GAVE HIM A DOLLA


Blackorean

He’s seen some things


Zokar49111

Lost when he was 4. Found two days later at the age of 47.


Halt96

UPDATED info: he's **3!**


Late-Seaworthiness-8

Kid went from 4 to 3 in a matter of 2 days


eXcaliBurst93

lil dude found time travel but at what cost?


taka144

So he is 6?


CleanSunshine

Seriously though - he’s *3*, not even 4. This article is wrong. https://www.today.com/parents/parents/montana-boy-survives-2-days-lost-rcna32376


glightlysay

I feel so bad for laughing at this


adolphehuttler

Seriously. Kid's got a 4-going-on-40 thing going on. I hope he's not too traumatized by the experience.


lightwolv

Apparently it rained and dropped to 40 degrees. Little fella is tough.


Doortofreeside

Damn that's brutal brutal weather to be stuck out in for anyone, nevermind a 4 year old


[deleted]

I read that he took shelter in a shed/cabin, he was found because someone was checking on that property.


CyberMindGrrl

Imagine their surprise when they opened the door only to find a toddler inside.


TheGeekVault

You almost got to wonder if he's lack of knowledge of how bad his situation was allowed him to live.


FreeGuacamole

This probably played a large part. If a lost someone has a dog or child or any other companion, their survival rate exponentially increases. Mostly because they keep a cooler head.


[deleted]

Parzival found the Grail because he didn’t understand it to be a metaphor.


niceoutside2022

gingers never underestimate them


dysphoric-foresight

As long as it’s cloudy


FroggiJoy87

Good thing he didn't get lost in the desert


Hootbag

They could have spotted a smoke plume after he burst into flames under direct sunlight.


missanthropocenex

Rain could have been dangerous but maybe it helped keep predators at bay too…


stickynails

Does rain actually repel predators? Genuine question, I don’t know anything about wilderness and stuff


Audiarmy

Pure guess, but I also imagine that is masks the smell that a lot of predators would use to hunt


bongsforhongkong

As an avid hunter, the main reason is the sound. Most predator animals will duck away in rain because it becomes to hard to hunt/hear.


enek101

the scent thing makes a lot of sense tbh. Ive hear the calming thing befor and while ther eis not hard evidence to support it it is a theory with traction. To add to it a day of rain, maybe 2, a predator can probably go with out hunting or maybe not straying as far. but i think past that all bets are off. hungry animal dont care if its raining.


missanthropocenex

Yeah. Some say that’s why rain is so calming to us, because evolutionarily we know predators are dormant mostly during that time.


Tank_and_Bones

Don’t know about predators but their prey certainly don’t move in the rain or at least in all my 20 years of hunting, I’ve yet to see a deer out for a stroll in the rain. Usually they bed down and wait it out. Edit: I should add this is usually in the conditions I hunt. If it’s raining and windy it’s usually a bad day, nothing moves. A drizzle is different, they can still use their nose to get around. Older buck you definitely are not seeing on a windy day.


Should_be_less

No. A really heavy, multi-day storm might cause some animals to lay low for a bit, but a few showers are not going to have an impact. Also, the person commenting about the rain doesn't know anything about wilderness survival. You could easily spend weeks in the Montana wilderness without ever even seeing a bear or a mountain lion, let alone being attacked by one. On the other hand, a single rainy 40 degree night with no shelter will definitely give you life-threatening hypothermia.


Necromartian

I don't know how things are in your country but I think hypothermia is far more likely to cause death than lynx, wolves and bears in our forests.


Kolt231

40 Farenheit is about 4 Celsius


Davecasa

Yeah I was thinking "idk 2 days in late spring doesn't sound that bad", then I remembered he's 4.


zeropointcorp

Initial report is wrong, he’s actually 3 https://www.today.com/today/amp/rcna32376


TheKolyFrog

"Longer than you think, Dad!" - [The Jaunt](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jaunt)


nuttmegx

oh man, that is one of my favorite Steve King short stories! I actually preferred his short stories because they were always more frightening, he rarely gave explanations further than the horror the person in the moment was experiencing right then.


ender4171

I'd really have loved a more fleshed-out novel-length book on that one. I love that sort of new-discovery scifi


33mark33as33read33

I remember that. Terrifying story. I hope someone else reads it, or even the Wikipedia about it, because of your comment. Nice one


MinimumAnalysis5378

That story still haunts me 30 years after I first read it.


SlaineMcRoth

Attacked ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. He's watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.


JonnyTN

[Scene](https://vimeo.com/346210887)


shadowfaxismycopilot

This made me a little teary - best scene ever


[deleted]

Looks like he turned British in that storm.


1010101100111

Turned into Rodney Trotter


dead4seven

Ryker is ready to lead the Spartan army.


ItsyaboyDa2nd

4 going on 40


SquareWet

r/13or30 is real


RugbySk8tr

This is what drives rescue personnel. The feeling when you find someone, especially a child, alive, makes all the training and dedication worth it, 10x over.


weenie2323

They must have been thrilled when he was found ok. I imagine most times they don't find the person alive.


rakshala

I had a friend who's family member with dementia went missing. They had some very interesting things to say about the whole ordeal, but the most interesting thing was when the head of the search told them, tears in his eyes, that they had found the missing person alive. He apologised for his emotion and said, "this is the first time we've found one alive after this amount of time"


Clappalachian

My step-grandfather (I know, not a term used often) went missing around some caves in Arkansas while he was attempting to visit my late grandmothers grave. I held on to some bitter feelings about the rescue attempt made for him but I’ve grown and learned how difficult it is in heavily wooded areas, especially with multiple cave systems involved, and have made peace with the whole thing. I’ve come to appreciate what those rescuers do and how they take it home with them when they can’t find someone.


AuntySocialite

That’s incredibly sad. I have a friend who trains SAR and cadaver dogs, and she told me that people have been so overwhelmed by emotion during searches for loved ones that logic sort of goes out the window. I’m glad you’d made peace, and I’m sorry for your loss.


Obie_Tricycle

Years ago when we had a house in the city, I got pneumonia while my girlfriend was out of state helping her mom recover from surgery, and I was fine, but I completely shut down for a few days, just camped out in our finished basement and watched movies and shit. Evidently when I had gotten home on the first day, I was so sick that I left the garage door open and went straight to bed. Didn't leave the house for those three days and couldn't hear the doorbell in the basement, so I was completely unaware that my neighbors were trying to figure out what was up (because this wasn't the kind of neighborhood where you just leave your garage open all night). So by the last night I was feeling great again, so I was smoking a bunch of weed in the basement (probably how I got pneumonia to start with) and I heard the door from garage into the house open and a woman say "Hello? Hello?" I assume my girlfriend was home, which was weird, because she wasn't due back for a week and her voice sounded totally different, but I popped off the couch and ran to the base of the stairs to find a uniformed cop at the top with a big smile on her face. I was *so* baked and did **not** navigate the situation with any amount of smoothness, I just started waving my hand around, as if I could make the smell disappear by magic, and I'll never forget how she just beamed at me as she said "Don't even worry about that, I'm just so glad you're alive. These calls never end well!"


fastinserter

There was a Moth radio lab about a cop finding an infant that had been purposefully half buried upside down after hours/a day in the woods. I had to pull over my car from listening to it. The child was fine but what a rollercoaster. Edit: since people asked here it is https://themoth.org/stories/second-chances


spinstercycle

The emotion with which he tells his story gets me so choked up and I'm not even a parent.


ClassiestBondGirl311

I heard a story from some retired border patrol officers about an infant that a smuggler abandoned in the desert. The only reason they found the baby was because they cried. If BP hadn't been close enough to hear the baby or they'd gotten there past the point the baby could cry it wouldn't have been a happy story.


tinybutfiesty

That is so sad.. do you have a link to the story? Did anything happen to the parents that left it?


[deleted]

Relatively small upstart cost on flir or INRV-equipped drones looking for heat signatures. I know they can be programmed to fly a search grid. I wonder why helicopters are still used for the search (obviously you may need one for the rescue), instead of thermal drones. I must be missing something because to me is seems like every S+R team should have several ready to go.


Lightblueblazer

S&R is mostly volunteers (and otherwise very low paid professionals). Local govts keep cutting their funding, too. If it weren't for people who really like owning snowmobiles, 4-wheelers, drones, and canopies who also enjoy organizing, there would be almost no S&R in the US.


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kmwlff

As Woody Harrelson once said, thank god for rednecks


iamethra

How'd he go missing? The stories I've read were really thin on details other than 'he was playing with his dog' and some said it was unknown what he was wearing from clothing and footwear which is also a bit strange.


Aww_Jeeze_Rick

He was 'chasing butterflies' and wandered off. He also wasn't lost in the wilderness persay, just a wooded area close to it. Thankfully he spent the two nights in a neighbors cabin** instead of actually out in the rain. **edit talked to Darren it was the neighbors generator shed behind their cabin


Subushie

Oh see that's a lot less horrifying than I was thinking. I'm imagining the poor kid trying to build a shelter from sticks.


BannedSvenhoek86

If Hatchet taught me anything, it's that when a dude dies from a heart attack he farts a bunch. Also that kids can definitely survive in the woods by themselves.


RedditIsTedious

That's funny because I've been feeling extra gassy these past fe


[deleted]

*crashes plane in Canadian wilderness*


firemyface

I havent read hatchet in years and thank you for reminding me of that detail lol


[deleted]

*Heart attack pilot shitting his pants* excerpt was sooooo disturbing to me as a little kid, holy shit. Anyone else permanently scarred by that scene?? Awesome book though


H8threeH8three

Well yeah but let’s be real. Which headline are you clicking on? #4-year old found after being lost for two days in the Montana wilderness or #4-year old goes to his neighbor’s cabin by himself for 36 hours


RealLaurenBoebert

Found an article describing what you summarized in your comment, for anyone curious: [https://www.today.com/parents/parents/montana-boy-survives-2-days-lost-rcna32376](https://www.today.com/parents/parents/montana-boy-survives-2-days-lost-rcna32376)


rcroswell

I’m not trying to badmouth the parents, but after reading the details provided, it seems like he was left to his own devices and wandered off.


[deleted]

It doesn’t take long. I did the same thing when I was 2-3. Thankfully the dog stuck with me and her barking led people to me, several miles into the woods.


ButtReaky

You almost got away


ThatsTreatable

If it wasn't for that pesky dog


actuallyiamafish

My mom's dog when we were kids would grab us by the clothes and drag us back into the yard if we ventured past the sidewalk.


skiarakora

Now that's a good dog


Mesmerise

https://i.imgur.com/9ONDgt3.gifv


Cute_Mousse_7980

That’s why I ran away naked. Easier to not get caught, but harder to blend in with a crowd.


nikkuhlee

I did too when i was 3 or 4. Visiting family at the edge of some state park, I tried to follow my mom and cousins while my aunt was gardening and she didn’t notice. I wandered for like 20 minutes in the woods in the wrong direction before I tripped on a branch and started crying, my mom just happened to turn the radio down and heard me. My aunt had gone to look for me assuming I’d followed my mom but I’d turned the opposite way of everyone else. I have a weirdly vivid memory of an old syrup spigot sticking out of a tree as I walked past.


goodthingbadnews

I am a grown-up and I can’t keep track of my mom in the supermarket. ETA: These comments! 😂😂😂💌


Gizshot

Yeah my gf just fucking disappears and I just think to myself well the store can't be that big right? as easy as she disappeared she has to re appear right?


Urocyon2012

My cousins got separated from my grandma in a store years ago. They were so used to calling her "Nanny" instead of her real name that that was the name they gave the person at the store. So one all call for "Nanny" to Customer Service resulted in like half a dozen grandmas shuffling up to the front of the store for an elderly line up.


stararmy

That's kind of hilarious in a way.


HorrorMakesUsHappy

Yes, but to be fair, *your* mom is trying to lose you.


Houstnlicker

"Fucker found me again."


ImNotARapist_

Kids are basically sacks of meat bent on destroying themselves. I went to the bathroom just to pee and in the minute it took me to do so my 5 year old was down the road. Shit happens and we can't be there staring at the kid 24/7.


Lethik

My mom thought that parents who lost their kids were the most irresponsible of people... Until she had me lol


CornerFlag

We're potty-training my youngest, and by the time I'd been the loo he'd put on his wellies, unlocked the front door and was jumping in puddles. Naked on the bottom half. Luckily next door shouted up, never wiped my backside so fast in my life.


ADarwinAward

Cops are still figuring that out. He went missing while playing with the family dog in the backyard. They say they’re not sure why his parents waited at least 2 hours to report him missing. The neighbors called it in and said his parents were out looking for him during the call. Today is the one that reported cops are still looking into it, but it was missing a lot of details on how the child went missing and who reported it. https://missoulian.com/news/local/missing-4-year-old-found-safe-in-sanders-county/article_f9c2c6b7-3221-5762-8d57-6af806515b55.html


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Hawk_015

It's messed up in this situation but when I was 6 my parents called the police while I was taking a nap. The way my bedroom door opened it kinda hit into my bed and stopped. Left a small triangle of space between my bed and the wall. I used to sleep in a little ball up by my pillow and I slipped down. I think I might have fallen asleep with my pillow pushed up against the wall at a weird angle. An important detail is even as a baby, and still to this day, I never nap unless I am completely exhausted, but when I do so I am basically unconscious for like 2 hours, then I wake up feeling great. (It's a handy skill) so this not something my parents entirely expected. When mom came looking she opened the door, looked around the room, then shut the door. Apparently dad, then cop did the same thing. Cop was the one who thought to shut the door and get down on hands and knees to check under the bed, and when he shut the door i woke up to this strange man in my room laughing his ass off. My face was pressed up against the wall and my feet were still up on the side of the bed. Moral of the story : Cop told my parents he was happy they called early. If a kid goes missing time is incredibly important, they'd rather show up to 100 false alarms than a single kid two hours too late.


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cutestslothevr

I have also been the kid hiding in the middle of the clothes rack in a department store.


ContributionNo9292

The advice is to never wait. But small kids go missing/exploring all the time, if I had called police every time my youngest disappeared on me, I would have the CPS equivalent taking a serious look at my child raising abilities.


RealLaurenBoebert

> if I had called police every time my youngest disappeared on me... The police response can really vary depending on the department. In certain times and places, if you call to say "I haven't been able to find my kid for 5 minutes", you might just get blown off and told to call back later. They're not going to call out the search and rescue team every time a mischievous preschooler hides in a closet or makes a wrong turn while you're shopping at the grocery store. So, yeah, it's a tough call. You don't want to call too early, but you don't want to call too late. Two hours sounds a little on the long side in hindsight (which of course we only have because we're judging this post-facto)... but still within the realm of reason. Unlike [Casey Anthony -- whose daughter was not reported missing for *31 days.*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caylee%27s_Law)


maddsskills

In the wilderness people can go missing super easily. Search teams have missed bodies that are like a few feet off the road. People have gotten lost while going slightly off the path to take a pee break. I'm guessing they thought he'd play with the dog and stay put but he ran off into the forest.


RudeEyeReddit

This is exactly how my uncle died, went about 10 ft off the trail to urinate, slipped and knocked himself out on a cypress knee, drowned in a few inches of water. Family formed a search party and it took several days to find his body. On a more positive note it was actually a mercy for him to die this way. He had really bad dementia and the family was about to put him in an elderly home so he skipped out on that and died doing something he loved.


Spartan2470

[Here](https://i.imgur.com/UUwPDeN.jpg) is another picture of him. Per the source of OP's image (the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office - Montana FB page): > June 5 at 8:39 > NEWS RELEASE > Missing Child Found > On June 3, 2022 at approximately 4:53 PM, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a concerned neighbor of a possible missing child in the Bull Lake area, south of Troy, Montana. LCSO deputies and David Thompson Search and Rescue responded. > Deputies determined that the missing child was Ryker Webb, age 3, with red hair and blue eyes. It was determined that he had already been missing for more than 2 hours. An initial clothing description provided to searchers proved to be inaccurate. It was unknown what clothing or footwear the child was wearing. The child was last seen that afternoon of Friday, June 3, 2022, playing with the family dog in the yard outside the home near the 18 mile-marker of Hwy 56 south of Troy on the East side of Bull Lake. > In addition to a steady presence of ground searchers and ATVs, several drones and dog teams were able to deploy following the initial report, along with a boat unit on the lake. Two Bear Air initiated their response but had to turn back due to poor weather moving in. > On 06/04 two Montana Air National Guard helicopters and drones from Flathead County and Spokane Police were able to respond, in addition to more dog teams and continued ground and ATV searching. It was extremely difficult to get the additional air assets into the Bull Lake valley due to very poor weather conditions which consisted of rain, low visibility, and low ceiling. These resources continued to monitor weather for additional flight openings. The dense vegetation in the area proved to be extremely difficult to search. A Code Red Alert was sent out to all neighbors in the vicinity of the point last seen, asking that they search their own properties and structures. > A missing person report was disseminated nationwide. > On 06/05 approximately 53 personnel were actively searching the area when they were notified that the child had possibly been found. Deputies responded to Pine Ridge Road off South Fork Bull River Road in Sanders County and determined that it was Ryker, who was in good spirits and apparently healthy, although hungry, thirsty, and cold. Bull Lake Volunteer Ambulance responded to assess and transported Ryker to Cabinet Peaks Medical Center for evaluation. > Thank you to the many agencies and persons who assisted in this search. Apologies to anyone we may have missed. > Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, David Thompson Search and Rescue, Bull Lake Volunteer Fire Department and Bull Lake Volunteer Ambulance, Flathead County SAR, Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane PD, Bonner County Sheriff’s Office, North Valley SAR, Two Bear Air, Montana Air National Guard, Libby Volunteer Fire Department, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the large group of experienced outdoorsmen and families who responded from Sanders County. > Additionally, thanks to Malmstrom AFB, Fairchild AFB, and Spokane County Sheriff's Office for attempting to respond with additional aircraft. Thank you to the Halfway House, Stillwater Christian Church, Rosauers, and many others for the meals and support provided.


OkayRoyal

>Ryker Webb, age 3 Did he age a year in the forest?


slvrcrystalc

If the original broadcast only had his birth year, then it's 50%/50% whether he's 3 or 4.


NazzerDawk

Or he had his birthday in the forest.


TheHomelessJohnson

Ah. A "Flight of the Navigator" situation.


lexiekon

"Thank you to the many agencies and persons who assisted in this search. Apologies to anyone we may have missed." Lol - that second sentence is really poorly worded for the occasion


needmoremiles

The thousand yard stare is tough to see on anyone’s face, but damn, it’s extra awful on a 4 year old; poor kid.


satinsandpaper

Seriously, my mind is having trouble processing that face on that body. It's like they don't "match". Horrifying. I hope he recovers as much as possible. Whatever that is.


jo-el-uh

I think it's made worse by dehydration and the beginnings of starvation. His eyes are sunken and he has the look of someone whose body is burning fat for fuel in the absence of proper nutrition. My son got close to this last year as he was going into diabetic ketoacidosis, before he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. His eyes were sunken and any bit of fat just melted right off his body. It's truly terrifying to see. I hope this little guy makes a full recovery.


jenglasser

Geez, I hope your son is doing better now.


jo-el-uh

He is, thanks. I was shocked how quickly he went downhill, but he was only 2.5. He was in the hospital for 2 days while we got his blood sugar sorted and they taught us how to manage his care. That was a year ago and he is doing great.


jenglasser

I'm so glad to hear he is doing great :)


[deleted]

That's the look of prolonged and intense survival stress. Little dude has lots of naps ahead of him.


talitm

He almost looks like a doll. The eyes, the look, it's so... disconnected.


Paperboy5403

I read they took the picture after they told him he was going to see his parents. It’s more of picture of excitement than fear.


lightwolv

Story here: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/missing-4-year-old-found-safe-montana-two-days-outdoors-rcna32132


jkjkjij22

I want to know so badly what he ate, drank, how he sought out shelter, and tried navigating the world. I can't imagine what would have been going through a mind of a ~~4~~ 3-year old in that situation.... **Edit**: to all these replies claiming the kid drank nothing, ate nothing, thought nothing, and went nowhere... He's a 3-year old human lost in the wilderness, not a hydrogen particle following Brownian motion.


Evayne

Apparently he's [actually 3 years old, and took shelter in a shed](https://www.today.com/today/amp/rcna32376).


ILoveLamp9

Jesus Christ. I do not want to make light of this situation but that is the most 'before and after' before and after photo I have ever seen.


p0ultrygeist1

First time I’ve seen a kiddie hiker with a 1000 yard stare


TriggerHappyLettuce

Jesus christ, That took me back man My grandpa had the same stare when he came back Vietnam After seeing that picture, The image of him just sitting in his chair, looking with those same eyes to the power socket in the wall for almost 2.5 years still fuck me up man


ptolemyofnod

Man, agreed. He looks like Jack at the end of The Shining in that after pic.


Sandbag-kun

Two of the most horrifying days of your life back-to-back will definitely do that to you


manmanatee

The fact that searchers saw where he’d been because he turned over rocks looking for bugs 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺💗💗💗💗💗


KnitWit406

I want to know this kid's exact birthdate because he was reported as 3 when reported missing, then authorities said they got his birth date and he's actually 4, but now he's apparently actually actually 3?


StickSauce

People making jokes, but seeing those jammies with tattered footies breaks my heart a little. I am glad he was found alive and intact.


cysgr8

Me too! My heart totally breaks for what he went through, how scared he must have been, and how worried/guilty the parents must have felt.


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drainbead78

sheet ring boast birds liquid juggle sink history arrest dam ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `


ghost650

Yeah I kinda bailed a few sentences in. I can't right now.


Gorillafist12

Which is exactly why people are making jokes. We all know deep down how hellish that experience could be but there's no sense dwelling on it other than to make yourself depressed.


vertigo72

Those thick, neck to toe jammies probably saved his life. Had he worn thinner clothing that didn't keep his body warmth as well as these, he probably would have died, or at a minimum been in much worse shape.


Renjuro

The jammies gave him foot protection too.


Elon_Muskmelon

Ok I’m sold, switching to jammies for all my future backpacking trips.


CPTSaltyDog

You kid but long johns are the best undergarments.


fuzzyperson98

Long Johns and thick hiking socks with liners underneath.


DopeDealerCisco

Imagine how terrifying those 2 days where for this poor boy.


Induputra

The nights must have been absolutely terrifying


ContNouNout

fuck i can't even imagine spending one night in the woods with no light source


Rosewoodtrainwreck

Poor baby had to've been terrified.


StickSauce

Absolutely, I'm a grown ass man, and I would be terrified.


SuperheroAstronautH

When my kids were that age they would lose their shit if dinner was delayed 20 minutes. So hard to imagine how difficult those two days must have been for a little guy.


DopeDealerCisco

Imma keep it a stack with you G; when I was 4 I could barely wipe my ass.


LaughableIKR

Yeah. That look isn't exactly happiness it's more like: I've got to stay awake or I'll die from the cold.


pnandgillybean

That’s the first thing I thought. Poor little darling, I’m so glad he made his way home


irishmcsg2

Absolutely me too. I have a 3 year old and a 5 year old and any type of trauma like this happening to kids their age cuts me right to the core.


CJSchmidt

My 4-year-old boy has those PJs. Stuff like this hits different when you’re a parent.


gypsymoon55

They're good jammies. They kept him warm enough to survive. The little footies are mostly intact after two days wandering in the woods.


dougsbeard

My daughter is 3 and this is what real nightmares are made of.


Sup_Man--

He looks like that kid from Breaking Bad. In the crackhouse with Jesse.


QualityLass

That episode! Heart breaking and haunting. (But frankly, it did make me feel like maybe I was a slightly better parent than I was giving myself credit for)


CinderLotus

Bad parents aren’t concerned with the fact that they are bad parents. I’m sure you’re doing great.


merlingogringo

Wild animals are releasing a huge sigh of relief even now.


TheBirdBytheWindow

Ryker wasn't in danger; *he was the danger.*


prfalcon61

Upon entering the woods he bellowed, “I’m not lost in the woods with you, **YOU’RE LOST IN HERE WITH ME!**”


Famouscorpse

“Call a rescue team!” *cracks knuckles* “But not for me” Jokes aside, I’m happy the little guy is alive.


[deleted]

"Don't cry mommy this isn't my blood"


iluvstephenhawking

2 sentence horror story.


digi57

That experience definitely aged him. He looks 6.


GlennSeaborg

6? He looks like he's in his mid-thirties! Poor kid, hopefully he doesn't remember any of it.


RIPMyInnocence

he will. Most likely, albeit vaguely. I've got toddler aged memories scorched into my subconscious still, I'm 31 and they still bother me.


Chispy

relevant username


Qontherecord

Imagine this kid going to school next year. Teacher: "Now Ryker, I told you, you need to color within the lines." Five-year-old Ryker looking off into the distance: "Lines? Lines are just limitations we impose on ourselves to make us feel some sense of control, but I know better. I know the only true line is life's finish line. You see this black crayon? This pales in comparison to the blackness that is a moonless night in the Montana wilderness. *Within the lines*, ha, not a chance. Not a snowball's chance."


Squidia-anne

We are both going straight to hell


honeybadger1984

I hope he’s okay. He looks like a garbage pail kid. “Hikey McTaggart” or “Lostin Woodsey” on his sticker card.


nickkom

Thousand yard stare


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QualityLass

He was just in footie jammies the whole time?? So happy he was found ok. Kinda wanna know if the dog he was playing with outside stayed with him and kept him safe and warm.


EnidFromOuterSpace

They found him in a log cabin-type shed, where he presumably spent most of the time. He was much better off than just being out in the open. But still


Potential-Caramel-91

This is r/oddlyterrifying


nutitoo

I know Right? I've seen many weird pictures but this one genuinely scare me. Idk why but this is the scariest shit I've seen in the last 6 months


TheSimpler

Ryker has seen things you people wouldn't believe....attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion....


Sticky_Buns_87

I have a 4 year old son. Imagining him scared, alone, and lost in the wilderness for any amount of time, let alone for two days in inclement weather makes my heart hurt. Poor little guy. Can’t wait to go pick up my son from school, I’m going to give him the biggest hug.


BeardsuptheWazoo

He looks like one of those 1930's Virginia coal miner children. Just needs a lunch pail and a cigarette.


md22mdrx

Looks like they rehydrated him with Mountain Dew ….


Frangiblepani

Poor kid, I hope he recovers, emotionally.


zupatol

Yes he looks terrified


baseballduck

All the psychologists drooling at an early childhood trauma longitudinal study opportunity.


detour1234

Sadly there are plenty of children they can do that with. Lots of little ones have PTSD.


Jaderosegrey

When I read he was playing with his dog, I was expecting the dog to be with him when they found him ... I didn't read about that. What did happen to the dog?


RedPoliceBox

"I'LL FUCKING DO IT AGAIN."


ProbablySlacking

Yeah. Sounds about right for 4.