2 Nellis copters help search for missing boy in Arizona
Two Nellis Air Force Base helicopters are assisting in the search for a missing 5-year-old boy in Arizona’s Kaibab National Forest, according to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.
The boy, Jerold Joseph Williams, was reported missing by his mother at a campsite 12 miles south of Jacobs Lake, near the intersection of Arizona Route 67 and Forest Service Road 241, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Friday.
Jerold’s mother said her son was last seen around 1:30 Thursday afternoon chasing grasshoppers 100 to 200 yards from the campsite. She and 15 to 20 friends and family members also camping spent four hours searching for Williams after losing sight of him.
The Sheriff’s Office said the two Nellis helicopters are equipped with night vision equipment.
A Nellis spokesman couldn’t provide information about the helicopters’ participation in the rescue effort. HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters from the 66th Rescue Squadron operate from Nellis but belong to the 23rd Wing at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. A call to the Moody base went unanswered late Friday.
Other agencies assisting with the search include Arizona Highway Patrol, Arizona Game and Fish, U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management, the release said.
Review-Journal writer Keith Rogers contributed to this report. Contact Kimberly De La Cruz at kdelacruz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @KimberlyinLV.
