Arizona Toddler Emmett Trapp Wandered for Miles Trying to Find Home
Aug. 5, 2010— -- A shoeless toddler wearing only a shirt and a diaper wandered for miles in rugged Arizona terrain as temperatures ranged from 61 to 90 before collapsing and dying, officials said today.
The toddler's lifeless body was discovered a mile from his home in Wednesday, two days after disappearing from his home in the Dewey-Humbolt area while his mother napped.
But his trail led searchers for several miles as the boy apparently became lost and was unable to find his way home.
"He went over hills, washes, and thickets. He went through a lot," Search and Rescue spokesman Jeff Newnum told ABC News affiliate ABC 15.
"All together, Emmett probably walked close to three or four miles," Newnum said.
Robert Lowery, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children which helped in the search, told ABC News, "He was found in the rugged terrain area. It looks like the child probably did wander off."
Lowery said it wasn't surprising for the boy to travel so far, despite being barefoot.
"Oh sure that's possible. What they do is they wander and get disoriented. We've found them long distances before, further than that," Lowery said.
He said that searchers were disappointed they didn't find Emmett in time.
"We have found children missing as long as five days in rugged terrain areas. We were holding out hope on this one," Lowery said.
Dwight D'Evelyn, spokesman for the Yavapai County Sheriff's office, said Emmett's body was found around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.
The 2-year-old boy was reported missing Monday evening by his mother in the Dewey-Humbolt area, 80-miles north of Phoenix.
"She had taken a nap, and woken up sometime in the early evening to find Emmett gone from the home. She did a quick search of the home, and the property around the home and could not find Emmett," D'Evelyn said.
