LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Cold, hungry and talkative. That's how rescuers described the once-missing autistic boy who was found alive a few miles from his Willisburg, KY home.
A search team found Randall Chesser about 2:45 p.m. Monday at a creek about three miles from his home in Washington County. Chesser had been missing since Saturday night. Hundreds of volunteers braved rugged terrain, swollen creeks and briar bushes and spent two days searching before making the discovery Monday afternoon.
But after all that, it was boot print that led them to the boy.
Chris Goodlett and Monte Kelly with the Mercer County Fire Department were among the first two rescuers to find Chesser.
"He's wet, he's hungry, he was laying face down... he's tired," said Goodlett, who even had to catch his breath. "You gotta go with your gut. And I found his foot track two hours ago... I saw his foot track there... there was a deer track there. And he wasn't 100 yards form where he was."
It was the boot tracks that led them to the boy. And the spurs that spurred the conversation.
"I just asked him, 'Randall are you okay?' And he said 'Yeah.' Then I told him I liked the spurs on his boots," said Kelly.
Earlier in the day, Beverly Chesser, Randall's mother, told reporters she was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and search effort to find her son.
"It's breathtaking that someone else would come and help find someone else's child. It really is you know," she said.
"Everybody has been out to look for this little fellow. There ain't nobody that hadn't been here to volunteer," said Gary Settles, a family friend and among those who volunteered to search for the boy.
The 7-year old boy likely spent the night in the rain. Word of that he had been found spread quickly.
"Oh it's a miracle. Thank God they found him. Thank God," said one volunteer, who began to cry.
Randall Chesser was taken to Kosair Children's Hospital where officials said he has been upgraded to good condition Tuesday.
Randall was last seen by his family at their home at 4482 Lawrenceburg Rd. in Willisburg, KY around 6 p.m. Saturday. After searching for several hours, the family contacted the Washington County Sheriff's Department requesting assistance. Early Sunday morning, the Sheriff's Department asked Kentucky State Police to handle the investigation.
Search parties had been looking for Randall by foot, horseback, ATV, helicopter, and auto. Local volunteers, fire, EMS, rescue, and law enforcement agencies along with the Commonwealth Search & Rescue Dog Team assisted.
Police made reverse 911 calls to over 450 residences within 27 miles of Randall's home.
KSP Investigators found no evidence to lead them to believe that an abduction had occurred, so an Amber Alert was not issued.
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