Over 75 volunteers and multiple law enforcement agencies hit the ground at around 6 p.m. Thursday and searched all through the night.
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A group of rescuers found the
missing Tellico Plains 6-year-old boy at the center of an AMBER Alert cold and wet near a creek after nearly 19 hours of search efforts by hundreds of volunteers Friday.
Over 75 volunteers and multiple law enforcement agencies, including Madisonville Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshal Service, hit the ground at around 6 p.m. Thursday and searched all through the night. Officials said 2 THP helicopters and a TBI plane were also searching the air.
“It’s been pretty intense because we had to fight, fog, rain, 28-degree weather, temperatures, last night,” Monroe County Sheriff Tommy Jones said. “We were very concerned about him being in the creek or one of the lakes and the hypothermia kicking in.”
Stone Gray, a search volunteer, and Trenton Devity, a Sweetwater High School Math Teacher, found Alijah near a creek about a mile from his house bundled up with his hood on against a tree.
The parents were too overwhelmed to speak. However, Detective Fillyew said Alijah’s dad told him he was grateful through his tears.
“Fortunately, the outcome was the most positive outcome we could’ve hoped for,” Detective Fillyew said.
