Missing 3-year-old Boy Found Safe by Maine Game Warden and his K9

Maine Game Warden Alan Curtis and his K9 Sig found a missing 3-year-old boy who disappeared while playing on the beach on Monday.

Emmit Holcomb of Roque Bluffs was last seen at the beach near Nepp Point Road in Roque Bluffs. When his family lost track of him, they conducted a quick search, and then called 911 just after 1 p.m. Maine Game Wardens and other emergency personnel searched the area near the beach, while marine patrol searched the bay.

Washington County Deputy Sheriff Jim Malloy's K9 picked up Emmit's scent and tracked him along the beach to a nearby home, two-tenths of a mile away from his house. Although the track was lost at this point, a game camera image of the boy at the home at 274 Nepp Point Road confirmed that he had been there.

At this point, Warden Curtis and Sig arrived at the home, met with Deputy Malloy, and began a search of a densely wooded area west of the shoreline. K9 Sig picked up the scent quickly, just before 2:30, and they found Emmit about 10 minutes later, sitting down behind a large overturned tree, about 1/4 mile into the woods, and over a half mile from the beach where he was last seen. Officials say the child was tired and had wet feet, but was otherwise healthy. Warden Curtis carried the boy back to his truck and drove him to a waiting ambulance, reuniting him with his family.

Agencies involved in the search included the Washington County Sheriff's Office, the Maine Warden Service, Maine State Police, Maine Marine Patrol, U.S. Border Patrol, Machias Police, Machias Ambulance Service, and the Roque Bluffs Fire Department.