YODER, Kan. — A missing child who has down syndrome was found safe Christmas Eve by officers with the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and other area law enforcement.

At approximately 5 p.m. Saturday, deputies were dispatched to 2218 Ranger Rd., SW of Yoder, for a missing child. Six-year-old Joshua Bontrager had walked away from his family member’s residence during a Christmas celebration. This occurred around 4 p.m. with family members looking for him until calling law enforcement about an hour later.

Searchers worked from around 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the foggy fields and county roads before Bontrager was found. He had walked about two miles but missed the turn onto Greenfield Road, which would have taken him home. He walked right into a house at 12711 S. Sand Creek, surprising the resident. The resident, Terry Hephner, put Bontrager in his truck and started driving the area. He ran into a neighbor, Nelson Schrag, who was aiding in the search.

The child was checked out by Haven EMS and was released to his parents.

Approximately 10 officers from Reno Co. were aided by Haven Police, South Hutchinson Police, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Hutchinson Correctional Facility with their Dogs, Haven EMS, Fire Dist. Two, Newton Police, Hutchinson Police, and the Harvey County Sheriff’s Office who used a drone to aid in the search along with approximately 50 neighbors from the area.

Sheriff Randy Henderson noted on Facebook that they were very fortunate that the weather wasn’t as cold as last Saturday or the outcome could have been a lot different.