UPDATE: Frank Young located deceased – READ MORE
Two weeks after he went missing, there is still no sign of a little boy on the Red Earth Creek Nation (RECN) in Saskatchewan.
Chief Fabian Head of the RECN and Sgt. Richard Tonge of the Carrot River RCMP held a press conference to update the public about the missing five-year-old boy, Frank Young.
Head said during the press conference, “they are not giving up hope…it is still a rescue mission.”
“We’ve had three deaths in the community since then, along with the search for Frank. Our people, we’re resilient and we come together in times like this to support one another. It’s the words of our Elders that give us comfort, those words we are thankful for.”
During the press conference, Tonge was asked why an Amber Alert has not been issued.
“The main criteria for an Amber Alert is we have to have confirmed evidence of an abduction. It can be stranger abduction, parental abduction, or abduction by another family member. We also have to have concern for the safety of the child. We don’t have evidence of those things happening in this case and therefore no Amber Alert has been issued,” said Tonge.
“Obviously, as days go by, our concern for Frank grows. We’re on Day 11 of this intensive search and with each passing day, each passing hour, our concern continues to intensify.”
The RCMP issued a Saskatchewan Emergency Advisory Alert for Young.
The last place that someone saw Young alive was a RECN playground on Tuesday, April 19.
Young has not been found using hundreds of volunteers, crews combing the Carrot River, and the RCMP using a special search plane with infrared imaging.
Also searching for Young are RCMP crews, other First Nations, the Search And Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers, the Prince Albert Grand Council, and the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.
The #HopeForFrank continues to trend on Twitter as people send their hopes and prayers to the family and the RECN community.
RECN asked the public to help with donations to provide the volunteers working in the search parties to help cover their expenses.
To join the search parties or make a donation, email myaneah1@gmail.com or call the Emergency Response Coordinator at 306-401-8124.
Please contact the RCMP’s Carrot River detachment or call 911 with any information.
