Collective effort brings missing Glen Alpine boy home

The Burke County Sheriff’s Office contacted Glen Alpine Interim Chief Shane Trull, who immediately went to the boy’s home to gather more information. Other law enforcement agencies assisted in the search. Glen Alpine residents also joined in the search, including the town’s mayor, Michelle Lewis, and two aldermen, Luke Boone and Reid Scott.

“We started by doing a large area search,” Trull said. “The search was for the roadways he may have traveled on his bike.”

Shortly before 9 p.m., an alert Glen Alpine firefighter noticed a bike parked outside a Carbon City Road restaurant. A group of boys stood outside. He noticed the missing boy was there; he called dispatch. Trull met with partner agencies on the scene and identified the boy.

“Our great town members came out in large numbers — on foot and in personal vehicles — to conduct search assistance,” Trull said.

The interim chief thanked everyone involved in returning the boy, who is autistic, home. He was found shortly before an AMBER Alert was scheduled to be disseminated.

“Without everyone’s hard work and professional effort this situation could have ended very badly,” he said.

Agencies and Volunteers Involved:

• Burke County Dispatch
• Burke County Sheriff’s Office
• Glen Alpine Police Department
• Glen Alpine Fire and Rescue
• Burke County Rescue
• City of Morganton Public Safety
• Residents of Glen Alpine
• Glen Alpine Mayor Lewis, Alderman Boone, Alderman Scott
• Glen Alpine Reserve Officer Greg Snider