Siletz , Ore. — Authorities in Oregon are searching for a 2-year-old boy last seen playing in his home’s front yard but out of sight of his parents, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office says.
Dane Paulsen was reported missing around 4:25 p.m. Saturday, the office said in a statement on social media.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office via AP
Members of the sheriff’s office and fire and police agencies searched the property and surrounding areas on foot and with drones with thermal imaging equipment Saturday, the office said.
On Sunday, search and rescue teams were conducting methodical searches of an area north of the small city of Siletz, near the Siletz River, using divers, drones, dogs and watercraft, the sheriff’s office said. Volunteers who wanted to help were urged to stay out of the main search area.
Almost 300 people were involved in the search, the sheriff’s office said.
As of Sunday evening, 382 acres had been searched and 283 miles covered, the office noted.
A vehicle and male driver Dane’s parents didn’t know who were spotted near Dane’s home around the time he was last seen were found and were “no longer a point of interest,” the office said Sunday evening.
The office said an Amber Alert hasn’t been issued because Dane’s “disappearance does not meet the criteria to use the Amber Alert system,” adding that, “There is no evidence at this time to suggest criminal actions are involved in this incident.”
