Three-year-old boy found under his bed following full-scale search

The mother of a three-year-old boy who sparked a full-scale search before being found under his bed has described her terror on finding him gone. Villagers from Abbotskerswell in Devon joined police, sniffer dogs, a helicopter and members of the Dartmoor Rescue Group in the hunt for boy. Social media sites spread the message that the child had disappeared from his bed at about 9.15pm on Thursday. Members of the community quickly mobilised to join police and offer support to the frantic mother. But after police returned to the house to look again they discovered the boy snuggled up and fast asleep under his bed. Police have thanked villagers and members of the search and rescue team who turned out to help.



They confirmed the boy had gone to bed earlier in the evening but when his mother went to check on him his bed was empty. After looking and calling through the house she believed he had gone out of the front door and called police. When police arrived they conducted a quick search of the house but could find no trace. Concerned for the welfare of the boy they enlisted the help of other agencies to search the lanes and rural area outside the house. A police spokesman said: “Quite a few residents came out.” After an unsuccessful search police returned to the house to carry out an ‘in-depth’ hunt through the house. The boy was found sleeping soundly out of sight beneath his bed at about 11pm. Mum Elizabeth Griffin, 43, said: "We had been out trick or treating and I put Noah to bed at about 8.40pm. But when I went upstairs to check on him at about 9pm and he wasn't in bed I just ransacked the house.

'I looked everywhere, in his wardrobe, cupboards, drawers, in the recesses and of course under the bed, but I just couldn't find him. I went downstairs and then thought that earlier I had heard the front door click. I immediately thought he must have gone out to find his brother who was having a sleepover around the corner. Hes a very smart boy and could easily have got my keys and got out even though the door was locked. I rang the house where his brother was to say that Noah was gone and then rang the police. There is a stream at the bottom of my garden and I was terrified he had gone into that. It was dark and raining and I was completely frantic running down the road with the phone in my hand.' Soon after news of the missing child spread through the village and scores of people joined police in a search.



Elizabeth was told by police to stay indoors in case he came back. An initial search of his bedroom had failed to locate the boy. Elizabeth later learnt that people came from as far as Exeter to join the hunt. 'All I could think about was the stream. There was noise and talking and at one point I just covered my ears because I thought somebody would tell me the worst. Then the police sergeant helped me to look again. The bed was pulled up and the mattress but we still couldn't see anything. Then I spotted his torch but because he was so confined and hidden in his onesie I couldn't see Noah It just looked like a jumble of clothes and he was actually curled up in an embryonic position. When they lifted him out he didn't stir at all. I can't begin to say how relieved I was. I was completely sobbing with relief, in fact everybody was sobbing. I can only think that because his brother wasn't there he had crept under the bed to feel safer. I really do want to thank all those people who came out to look for him. They were amazing.'