Missing six-year-old autistic boy found alive after three-day Kentucky search

Roman Heilman, a six-year-old non-verbal autistic boy, was found alive on Tuesday after going missing near his family home in Louisa, Kentucky, on Sunday. His safe recovery followed a large search involving emergency crews, local residents and volunteers, and highlighted how quickly the community rallied to find him.

A team of ten horse riders searched more than 14 miles of woodland before finding Roman on a trail about a mile and a half from home, alongside a small dog. He had scratches and was slightly dehydrated, but was reported to be in good shape; rescuers gave him water and snacks, wrapped him in a sweatshirt and carried him down the mountain. An alert for missing children with autism or mental illness had been issued.