UPDATE: The teen has been located safe and unharmed, according to the Redcliff RCMP.
He was found shortly after 7 p.m. within walking distance of his home, and is now back with his family.
CYPRESS COUNTY, ALTA- No resource is being held back in the search for missing 14 year old Jody Rath.
Rath was the subject of a missing-persons notice, issued by the Redcliff RCMP on Monday morning. According to the notice, the boy went missing on the night of September 10, believed to have left home overnight.
The search for Rath has been on since 7:00 a.m. Monday morning, after Rath’s family woke up to find him missing. They placed a call to the Redcliff RCMP, who then immediately commenced an investigation.
Since that time, four officers from the Redcliff detachment, as well as volunteers from the South Eastern Alberta Search and Rescue Association (SEASAR), and HALO have been on-scene. Aerial surveys from a HALO helicopter have been made, and a dog tracker is in the area. Volunteers are also on foot, combing the roads in the area.
Rath’s family home, which lies north of Holsom Road along Range Road 71, is currently the staging ground for the search. As of Monday afternoon, both the police and SEASAR were planning on calling in more resources, with officers on days-off being brought in to help with the search.
According to Staff Sergeant Sean Maxwell with the Redcliff RCMP, the search is concentrating on the immediate area of the residence, with plans to fan out as needed. Maxwell also indicated the decision to quickly issue a notice for Rath was due to the circumstances of the situation.
“When you’re dealing with that sort of thing, I know movies and TV shows say 24 hours notice, its all depending on the circumstances surrounding this sort of thing,” said Maxwell.
“Given what’s gone on here today, we are quite concerned, and we initiated an investigation immediately.”
Maxwell said police were very concerned about Rath.
“He’s a 14 year old boy,” said Maxwell.
“He’s a young person, he’s just a vulnerable individual, I would call him, very similar to someone, say, elderly. Fortunately, we’ve got good weather out right now, and we’re out looking.”
Maxwell asked for anyone who might see Rath to immediately contact the authorities, and indicated he expected to seal off the north end of Range Road 71. He also said he would prefer for the public to avoid the area, and let SEASAR and the police do their jobs.
“We’ll keep trying,” said Maxwell.
