An electronic map in the Yakima County Sheriff's mobile command post shows how thorough a search for a missing 4-year-old boy has been.
The map shows the area around Sarg Hubbard Park densely covered with tracks from searchers, and markers indicating volunteers and trained searchers were looking as far north as the Naches River and to Union Gap in the south for Lucian James Munguia, who was reported missing Saturday.
Authorities are scaling back the presence of trained search teams after scouring spots he would most likely be found. But those on the search aren't ready to give up hope that Lucian will be found alive, and are encouraging the public to help.
"There's always a focus on search and rescue," said Deputy Kyle Cameron, who coordinates the sheriff's Search and Rescue Team. The team is leading the search, directing searchers to various areas along the Yakima River and the Greenway.
Statistically, the chances of finding Lucian dropped to 50% after 48 hours, but Cameron said there have been cases of people being found alive after being missing longer than that.
Yakima police Chief Matt Murray and Sheriff Robert Udell, in a joint news release, said members of the public, who were initially discouraged from joining the search in its early stages, should look for Lucian or any clue to his whereabouts.
"We continue to assign personnel to this effort and sincerely pray for a positive outcome," Murray and Udell said in a statement. "We ask that you continue to keep Lucian's family in your thoughts. This is an unimaginably painful situation."
Lucian went missing at the park, near the Yakima River, around 7:15 p.m. Saturday. His family called police after their own 15-minute search proved fruitless, launching a massive search of the park and the surrounding area.
Lucian was last seen heading south and east across the park's parking lot, in the direction of the river and other bodies of water.
Cameron said YPD quickly cordoned off the park and began a search. More than 150 trained searchers from around the state, including the Moses Lake, Yakima and Gleed fire departments, Pierce, King, Spokane, Kittitas and Klickitat counties and personnel with the U.S. Air Force's program at Fairchild Air Force Base that trains air crews how to survive and evade capture if they are shot down, have joined the effort.
About 200 non-search-team members have also helped out, Cameron said, with local businesses providing food and drink. He said Camp Hope and Union Gospel Mission's outreach teams have been involved in the effort.
Searchers have also used aerial and submersible drones to search for Lucian, along with a helicopter equipped with an infrared camera. He said searchers have also used dogs, divers, ATVs, boats and kayaks in the search.
Yakima police detectives have sought video footage from in the park and surrounding areas in hopes of finding any sign of Lucian, according to a police news release. Police have found no sign of foul play in Lucian's disappearance.
While the initial search area concentrated around Sarg Hubbard Park, Cameron said crews have gone as far south as the area near Valley Mall Boulevard in Union Gap, where they run out of land between the river and the freeway, and were moving north to where railroad tracks cross the Naches River.
One potential complication in the search is Lucian's autism, Cameron said. Autistic children sometimes will hide or run away from searchers, he said.
"With our specific missing person today, he was drawn to lights and police lights, his parents said," Cameron said. "It's hard to say if he would approach us, but that is what we brief the team. We search as if he won't approach us."
Another issue is some of the homeless people who camp along the river and the Greenway. Cameron said some of the searchers have had rocks thrown at them and been yelled at by homeless people who told them to leave or gave them false reports of hearing a child crying.
"Homeless (people) has been a big issue for this search alone," Cameron said. "It scares (the searchers.) It makes them hesitant to go into some areas." He said Camp Hope and the gospel mission have tried to encourage those people to come to their shelters, but they have refused.
The search teams have sorted through multiple sighting reports of Lucian that turned up fruitless.
