UPDATE: LOCATED SAFE https://missingpeople.ca/missing-child-in-frog-lake-first-nation-alberta-jager-cross-memnook-5/
The chief of a northeastern Alberta First Nation begged for prayers Tuesday as he described a widening search for his five-year-old grandson, missing for more than 24 hours.
“What I would like is prayers for this young man, and for people to continue to pray for us,” Frog Lake Cree Nation Chief Greg Desjarlais told reporters.
“This young man — young boy, I should say — is autistic. He can’t speak, so it makes it very difficult for us.”
Mounties say Jager Cross-Memnook was last seen Monday at about 2:30 p.m. MT at his home in the First Nation, which is a roughly 260-kilometre drive northeast of Edmonton.
Police say he is three-and-a-half feet, weighs 60 pounds and has pale skin and red hair.
RCMP say the boy was last seen wearing a light blue Nike sweater and Paw Patrol bottoms.
“Our children are loaned to us, that’s our belief,” Desjarlais said. “They’re gifts. And this little boy, a lot of people love him. He has a lot of energy. He has that gift of his own spirit inside him.”
He said he is worried for Jager’s safe return to his family, especially with the possibility of a second night alone outside approaching fast.
“I can’t imagine this young boy at night, you know, had to sleep out there alone,” he said. “There’s a lot of bears out here, and there’s a lot of animals. But our belief is always with the Creator and we’re asking Him to have pity on us and to allow us to keep raising this child here.”
Desjarlais said there are 250 to 300 people searching for Jager. The searchers include people from about 10 First Nations and Métis settlements, he said, as well as RCMP members and others.
“People are tired but it was good to see last night, midnight, when they asked who wants to go home, and nobody wanted to go home,” he said.
“We just want to find him. We want to find him alive. And we want to celebrate his life and help him grow into an old man.”
Mounties said the search has been assisted by Edmonton Police Service and Alberta RCMP helicopters, Alberta RCMP police dog services and more than 100 members of the public.
FULL STORY: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/missing-boy-1.6979004
