Missing boy found safe
<p>Andrea Watson and her daughter Amanda, 8, hug 9-year-old Brian Watson after being reunited following a search for the boy Wednesday at the beach near North Idaho College.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - It was a tearful reunion between a 9-year-old boy and his family Wednesday afternoon, after officers located the missing boy at the North Idaho College beach volleyball courts.
Rod Watson, of Deer Park, Wash., said he was packing up his family's picnic table on the beach when his son, Brian, walked away from the rest of the family.
Watson said he thought the boy, who has autism, was going to walk up to his vehicle, which was parked directly up the bank. However, Brian walked off in search of his mother Andrea's vehicle, which was parked farther down Rosenberry Drive.
"He's a very friendly boy," Watson said. "We were so scared that someone was going to pull over and pick him up."
Watson called 911 at 4:12 p.m. and multiple law enforcement personnel were dispatched to the area to search for Brian.
"Anytime we get a call like that in close proximity to water, there's always a great deal of concern," Kootenai County Sheriff's Sgt. Ward Crawford said. "Water is a great attraction this time of year and also a great concern."
Crawford said multiple sheriff's office deputies, and personnel from the Coeur d'Alene police and fire departments also responded. Several marine unit divers and rescue boats were also dispatched to scour the mouth of the Spokane River for the boy.
A helicopter from the Spokane County Sheriff's Office was also dispatched, however Crawford said the boy was found by officers before it left the Spokane area.
"The family was quite pleased to see him, as were we," Crawford said. "The cooperation and effectiveness of everyone involved was just fantastic."