6-Year-Old Boy Goes Missing: When Rescuers Find Him, They’re Frozen By What’s Lying Beside Him

“Six-year-old boy found safe after 22 hours, but he wasn’t alone [Music]. There is almost nothing worse than the thought of losing your child, but on an unassuming Monday evening in a small community called Top of the World in Blount County, Tennessee, that was exactly the nightmare that two parents were faced with.

Kaden Leach was one of those lucky kids that were allowed to play outside, mostly unsupervised, as it was a safe, closely-knit community. He adored playing with his pets and being in the Great Outdoors, the perfect companion, a black and white terrier named Chula, joined him on his daily excursions and adventures.

Until one fateful day, Caden lived life similarly to how most kids in a forest town did. The Golden Rule was simple: be home before dark. So when Caden wasn’t indoors as the light outside was fading to dusk, his parents began to get worried. He had never been late before, and alarm bells were ringing that something terrible must have happened. Usually, it requires 24 hours before filing a missing person report, but his parents couldn’t imagine waiting a whole day to get the word out that they needed help, and they needed it quickly.

Caden didn’t have a coat, and it was getting very cold outside. Knowing time was of the essence, they dialed the county sheriff’s number. James Lee Barong, the sheriff, took the news of Caden’s disappearance very seriously. He knew just how important it was to follow a warm trail; tomorrow might not be soon enough.

The woods were treacherous enough alone at night; they were downright frightening. The alert was put out, a search and rescue mission was launched minutes after Caden’s inconsolable parents finished the call. A military Blackhawk helicopter from the nearby McGee Tyson Air Base was already lifting into the air as nearly 100 first responders mobilized on the ground.

There were two thousand acres of remote mountainous terrain to cover; they could only search and pray it was enough to find Caden. If they could. Amazingly, the search and rescue consisted of the FBI, TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Information), Blount County Sheriff’s Department, Blount County Fire Department, Blount County Search and Rescue Team, as well as Blount County Chief Deputy Jeff French. They would conduct grid searches around the area to try to find Caden. They vowed to search the entire night if that’s what it took to find the six-year-old boy, lost and alone in the mountain woods.

Everyone was briefed on the little boy: he was a small four feet tall and only 27 kgs, brown hair and blue eyes, and wearing only gray sweatpants, a black T-shirt, and slip-on shoes. This information also went out to the general public; it was, after all, a small town; everyone was involved, everyone was invested, and everyone wanted that child back home as soon as possible. Time was running out, and it had already grown cold and dark.

Authorities began to worry that if Kaden wasn’t found soon, he would develop a respiratory infection. The search intensified within a half-mile radius around his home. Nothing, not a trace of the boy, and as the night wore on, they knew they would have to expand the search, but that could only happen when daylight came again.

Daylight came, but although it was easier to see, there was still no sign of the young boy. The search took them to the lake to confirm that the worst hadn’t happened, and when they were in the clear, they checked out old abandoned buildings. They were hoping that Caden had taken shelter from the cold, but they were not that lucky.

The day grew old, and it would almost be black again when they heard something that made them stand dead still. That menacing growl got louder and more powerful the closer they got, and then suddenly there stood Chula.

The faithful terrier was standing over a sleeping boy, growling at anyone who came close. The dog growled at the rescuers when they approached Kaden. So, the dog is a protector, claimed BCSO Chief Deputy Jeff French, but they weren’t out of the woods yet.

Caden was slowly awakened; his skin was a sickly bluey-purple and cold to the touch. He shivered and shook as the rescuers evaluated him. A whole night with barely any clothes and no shelter had all taken its toll on his young body.

Luckily, it seemed that Chula had stayed with him and offered what little body heat she could to keep her owner warm. It turns out that Caden hadn’t wandered far; he was less than half a mile from his home. Still, the rescue team wanted to get him to Blount Memorial Hospital as soon as possible. It was very possible that Kaden was suffering from hypothermia.

Even so, his parents were so grateful to have him back. The family released a statement shortly after their son’s return. Nothing was said about his condition or the reason behind his sudden disappearance, but they wanted to give thanks to the selfless rescue team and community during their time of need.

We’re so thankful to everyone from local law enforcement agencies to volunteers who helped us find Caden. The amount of support we have received has been tremendous, even from people we don’t even know.

As the story spread, it was clear that everyone felt that there was another hero to this tale. It made everyone’s heart just a little lighter to know that Caden hadn’t been alone in the woods all night.”