Small Boy Found Safe After 40-Hour Search

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28619, 23 June 1958, Page 16

Small Boy Found Safe After 40-Hour Search

(New £ eat ana Press Association)

WELLINGTON. June 22

The search for Keith Neal, aged four years, who went missing in heavy scrub in the Titahi Bay area on Thursday afternoon, ended on Saturday at 8.15 a.m. when he was found alive and well in heavy gorse country near the Ngati Toa School, Porirua. His discovery marked the end of a 40-hour search. The child was found in a fairly deep gully about a quarter of a mile from the Ngati Toa School, not far from the area in which he was last seen.

Search volunteers agreed that they must have passed the spot 20 or 30 times in the two days. It appeared that the boy had crawled on his hands and knees through the thick undergrowth to the bottom of the gully. “Too Frightened’’

The boy told his rescuers that he had heard men talking and calling but had been too frightened to reply because he could not recognise their voices. Keith was found by a man whr» could not sleep. Mr D. D. McLeod, a civil servant, said he could not sleep through worrying about the boy. He got out of bed shortly after midnight and joined the search party. “About 8 a.m. another chap and I were searching a gully near the school,’’ he said. “We decided to split up and he went in one direction and I went in the other.

“I saw something black through the pig fern and undergrowth that attracted my attention and when I had another look I saw that it was a gumboot. “I got down on my stomach, crawled through the undergrowth and saw the boy. “He was staring at me. I was frightened of scaring him and remained quiet for a few minutes. “Then I ’said to him. ‘’Ullo, Keith,’ but he did not reply. “I called to the others for help, but not too loudly because I was still frightened I would scare him further away. “When they came we took him out,” Mr McLeod said. Inspector O. L. Hansen, who was in charge of operations, said that the co-operation from the community had been “magnificent.’’ Medical Treatment Dr. E. T. Marsden, who treated Keith when he was found this morning, said the boy was thirsty, slightly shocked, and had scratches about his arms and legs.

He was able to understand what was said to him and was given a glass of warm milk before being taken to the Wellington Hospital for observation. Dr. Marsden, another of the

searchers, said he was surprised to find the boy so well. Deep gratitude was expressed by Keiths mother. Mrs P. Neal, from her bed at Porirua Maternity Hospital. She gave birth to a daughter on Thursday night, a few hours after Keith went missing. News of her son’s disappearance was kept from her until last night when hope for his survival was diminishing.