With the help of a Good Samaritan, a disabled 17-year-old Kelowna boy was reunited with his family after going missing for nearly an hour in Lake Country on Sunday.
Lake Country RCMP received multiple reports of a 10-12 year old child seen walking northbound along Highway 97 from the Husky gas station in Lake Country just before noon on Sunday. The callers indicated that the child did not seem appropriately dressed for the sub-zero temperatures and appeared disoriented.
"A concerned Lake Country resident found the disoriented boy wandering on his property, noted that his hands were cold, his clothing was wet, and immediately called police," said Cnst. Kris Clark, who relayed the story in a news release Tuesday.
The caller brought the boy inside his home in order to warm up and gave him some water to drink, waiting with him until police arrived.
The boy was then united with his parents and the RCMP learned that he has been diagnosed with C.H.A.R.G.E. syndrome. This is a complicated disability comprised of numerous developmental abnormalities.
The boy's parents were in the Lake Country area at a church function and believed him to be in his class when he wandered off unbeknownst to his family. They were relieved to hear that he had been located after learning he had gone missing.
Thanks to the assistance of concerned citizens, tragedy was avoided. The boy was examined by BC Ambulance Service paramedics for precautionary reasons before being released into his parents' care.