Autistic teen who wandered off during hike found alive

Cnn ^ | Oct 18, 2007 | AP

[RDTF]

CHARLESTON, West Virginia (AP) -- An autistic 18-year-old lost in the wilderness for four days was found alive Thursday, weak but apparently fine, and reunited with his family, searchers said.

Jacob Allen, described as severely autistic, has reunited with his family.

"To the best of our knowledge, he was just hungry and thirsty and fatigued," said Jim Reneau, one of the nine searchers who found Jacob Allen.

Reneau spoke at a news conference at the command post near Davis, about 90 miles south of Pittsburgh.

Allen, who wandered away from his parents while hiking Sunday, was found lying in a clearing about a mile from where his hat was found Monday.

The teen, who has the mental capacity of a 3- or 4-year-old, opened his eyes and rolled over to meet his rescuers when Reneau's son, Jeremy Reneau, called out his name.

"He was very quiet, he was nonverbal," said Jeremy Reneau, 25, the first to spot Allen. "But you could tell by his body language he was hungry."

Rescuers fed him candy bars and peanut butter sandwiches and tried to walk him out of the wooded Dolly Sods Wilderness Area, part of the Monongahela National Forest.

When he became too tired, they carried him out on a litter, Reneau said.

"The family is all together," search group spokesman Chris Stadelman said. "As soon as they heard the report he was alive and doing fairly well, they gathered in a prayer circle."

-snip-

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Dude, he missed four days of Wapner.

/Did I just say that?

[Redcloak]

I feel guilty for laughing.

[WVNan]

Praise God!

[VOA]

What I like about FR:

1. The inside stories about politics, war, etc.

2. Just enough occassional news that will lift the spirits.

[MinuteGal]

Why don't the parents take him on an outing to the top of Pike's Peak during the winter storm season?

Just curious.

Leni

[mombonn]

Hallelujah!

[Pablo64]

Love a happy ending.

"Thank You, Lord, for answered prayers."

[Doogle]

..many prayers answered

[pwatson]

Thank God, As a fellow parent of a daughter with Autism I can tell you several thousand of us parents have talked about nothing else for the last days. Many of us have lost our kids for a few terrifying moments in shopping malls at least once and there is no worse moment than when you loose a disabled kid unable to talk or communicate or know a bad person or dangerous situation. We are always on hyper mode, its like having a 4 year old in my case for 21 years, you can never relax and completely enjoy life. Again Thank You God!