An autistic 11-year-old Lake Hawea boy was found yesterday morning cold and tired but otherwise fine after apparently spending the night in the open, unaware he was the subject of a 17-hour search.
Eamon Smith was reported missing at 4.30pm on Saturday from a yard where his father had a workshop, near the Luggate red bridge, which spans the Clutha River.
Senior Constable Mike Johnston, of Wanaka police search and rescue, said teams trained in tracking techniques searched throughout the night, focusing on the last place the boy was seen, an area of scrub and bush.
A jet-boat and search crew searched the nearby section of the river and an aerial search was carried out near the bridge, using thermal imaging and night-vision equipment.
Wanaka police watch-house officer Kate Mackenzie Smith said yesterday Eamon was found ''fine and well, but cold and tired'' about 9.30am yesterday.
He was seen on a walking track near Luggate by a passenger in a car travelling between Luggate and Queensberry. The occupants of the vehicle had been aware of the search and stopped to check on the boy, Mrs Mackenzie Smith said.
''Obviously, communication is difficult with him, because of his autism, so it's hard to know what happened to him but it's believed he must have curled up somewhere on the track for the night,'' she said.
''It was very lucky it was a mild night, with no frost, although it got colder in the morning.''
Eamon required no medical treatment and ''went home with his Mum, who was understandably relieved to see him,'' Mrs Mackenzie Smith said.
''As you can imagine, his family did not have a good night's sleep [on Saturday] for worrying about him so they were all very happy when he was found.''
About 20 people, police and members of the public, were involved in the search for the boy.
Snr Const Johnston said the search was made more challenging because of Eamon's autism.
People with autism could be unaware they were lost, could often hide or be evasive, they could want to be alone, have no fear of danger and act as if they were deaf, not responding to calls by searchers.
