In 2018, six-year-old Kaydon disappeared without a trace on the warm evening of April. He was playing with the family dog outside one second, and the next, he was gone. What happened to young Kaydon, and when he was finally found, what did the authorities and the family come across?
What Did The Rescuers Of Kaydon See When They Found Him?
Extremely Concerned
In Blount County, Kaydon and his family lived in Tennessee, known as Top of the World. His parents let him play on his own as long as he didn’t wander too far from home without permission. With that said, the night had come on Monday, April 23, 2018, but Kaydon was still not at home.
Extremely Concerned
He Didn’t Come Home
His parents were extremely worried because their son was usually at home at 6 p.m. While they were sure he enjoyed playing outside as usual, by the time that night had come, it was no longer fun and games for the adults.
He Didn’t Come Home
A Good Boy
Kaydon Leach is a good and happy boy who enjoyed playing outside with his pets, especially Chula, his black and white terrier. Kaydon likes to be a little mischievous, just like every other six-year-old.
A Good Boy
Not Taking A Risk
Kaydon ‘s parents initially thought he was just around the house, but when they realized he wasn’t, they alerted the Sheriff of Blount County, James Lee Berrong. Everyone knew each other as they were living in a small town.
Not Taking A Risk
A Nightmare
Since it was getting dark and cold, they were not taking any chances, and they knew that their son did not have a coat with him. And we know it’s a terrible nightmare for a parent to lose their child.
A Nightmare
A Responsible Boy
Did he meet up with his friends? Well, his parents could only hope for that. Perhaps on his way home, he lost track of time or was lost. However, he was responsible, so they felt that none of these scenarios was accurate.
A Responsible Boy
A Missing Child
It’s natural for a parent to want to protect their child, so obviously, the situation becomes frightening for a parent when this instinct is tested. This is no exception for the parents of Kaydon Leach.
A Missing Child
Regrets
They couldn’t figure out why their young son had suddenly disappeared, and they just wanted to find him safe and sound and bring him back home. Now, they had hoped that they would never let him go out to play in the first place by themselves.
Regrets
Bad Gut Feeling
There’s something really strange going on and they already had a gut feeling about it even though they didn’t know it yet. Where was the boy? Would he be all right? Would they ever find him?
Bad Gut Feeling
Nothing To Do
These questions had been running through their minds. They were trying to think positively but kept coming up with the worst possible outcome. How unfortunate it was that this young man was in great danger and that there was nothing his parents could do to help.
Nothing To Do
No Time to Lose
The County Sheriff knew that there was no time to lose to tell people about the missing boy, so he got help immediately. In a matter of minutes, he rounded up everybody he could possibly find.
No Time to Lose
24 Hour Wait
Most of the time, a person has to wait twenty-four hours before they can file an alert for the missing person, though that was not the case for Kaydon seeing as this community is pretty close-knit.
24 Hour Wait
Trying To Be Optimistic
The parents of Kaydon were extremely worried that their child was lost somewhere without a coat to keep him warm. They lived in a cold environment, and their son was thin and had little fat in his bones. With that thought in mind, they got even more worried.
Trying To Be Optimistic
Some Relief For The Family
But the worst scenario was not something the Sheriff would have ever wanted to think of, so he had to work immediately and get the little relief he could give the Leaches family. They were actively searching for Kaydon.
Some Relief For The Family
The Missing Boy’s Profile
By 7:00 p.m. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released an endangered child alert that evening and reported in the news the description of Kaydon.
The Missing Boy’s Profile
Safely Home
The community was also strongly encouraged to help find the boy, noting that Kaydon was last seen around 6 p.m. They all worked together to find the little boy and bring him safely to his family.
Safely Home
His Description
His parents described him as 4 feet tall, weighing 60 pounds (or 27 kg) and having blue eyes and brown hair. They also informed the Sheriff that their missing young boy wore a black t-shirt, gray sweatpants and a slip-on shoe when he went missing.
His Description
The Search
The local sheriff’s department conducted a search and rescue operation, and the nearby McGhee Tyson Airbase sent a Blackhawk military helicopter to help them. The search started rather immediately after the call from Kaydon Leach’s parents was received by James Lee Berrong.
The Search
Searching Everywhere
A ground search and rescue team, consisting of nearly 100 first responders covering 2,000 acres of remote mountain terrain, was also deployed, with the exception of recruiting a helicopter to find Kaydon.
Searching Everywhere
Finding Kaydon
But the question was, would they be able to find a young boy before it got dark? Even though a lot of people are looking for Kaydon, neighbors have heard the investigation and joined, as well.
Finding Kaydon
Grid Searches
Marian O’Briant, the spokeswoman for the Blount County Sheriff’s office, told WVLT News that the ground-search teams, along with military assistance, would be looking through the night to find out where Kaydon was at that time.
Grid Searches
The TBI
Ground searcher for Kaydon was conducted by ground teams such as the TBI (Tennessee Information Bureau), FBI, Blount County Sheriff’s Department, Blount County Search and Rescue Team, and Blount County Chief Deputy Jeff French.
The TBI
A Community Comes Together
After news that Kaydon had vanished into thin air, the local community reached out as well. A few hours later, an IPAWS (Integrated Public Alert & Warning System) message was aired.
A Community Comes Together
Keeping A Close Eye And Ear
Everyone was informed by the Blount County Emergency Services about what was happening and provided updates. The public was keeping a close eye and ear to stay up-to-date with the latest findings.
Keeping A Close Eye And Ear
A Caring Community
So when the members of the local community read the message, they knew that they had to do something seeing as the life of a child was at stake. Their children and grandchildren came to mind, and it definitely hit a nerve.
A Caring Community
Rallying Around
In addition to broadcasting the IPAWS message, the Blount County community also became aware of what was happening because the news was distributed through the Next Door smartphone app, which provides the neighborhood with a somewhat private social network.
Rallying Around
News Coverage
Most of the people were unable to help the search actively, but rallied and did whatever they could. The WVLT News was told by a local search volunteer, “We’re a very tight community. We try to help everyone.”
News Coverage
Missing Boy
The woman proceeded to say, “…I got a phone call about what was going on. I was coming up the mountain from work and just shot straight over and did everything I could to help.”
Missing Boy
A Helping Hand
One of the neighborhood residents, Megan Kessler, heard about the disappearance of Little Kaydon and began her own action plan to help search and rescue emergency and volunteer teams by providing them with food and water.
A Helping Hand
Providing Supplies
“We knew it was going to be a long night,” she told WVLT News, adding, “We brought coffee, chili, whatever they needed. We wanted to make sure we could supply it. They wouldn’t let us search, so we did what we could.”
Providing Supplies
A Viral Post
Everyone helped out and spread the news, and the Tennessee Endangered Child Alert released a Facebook post containing a photo of Kaydon Leach along with a description of the child and the surrounding circumstances. WBIR Channel 10 shared the post, as well.
A Viral Post
The Power Of Media
Shortly after the news had been updated, the post had been shared over 2,000 times and had more than 350 reactions. The entire community and Kaydon ‘s parents were clearly in it, and the news spread like wildfire.
The Power Of Media
Time Was Running Out
The search seemed to be completely pointless, despite the great efforts of the search and rescue teams, with the help of local volunteers. Kaydon couldn’t be found anywhere, and it was already cold and dark.
Time Was Running Out
Getting More Worried
They were running out of time, and the authorities became worried that if the Kaydon was not found soon, he might suffer from a respiratory infection. So, they were going to have to hurry and find him fast.
Getting More Worried
An Urgent Search
The little guy didn’t wear clothes that were warm enough, and that could have been fatal to someone as young as himself. This made searching even more urgent. Needless to say, people really got on board now.
An Urgent Search
The Search Continues
For the next few hours, the search kept going, focusing on the area covering a half-mile radius of Kaydon Leach’s home. They had to wait for daylight so that the search could be stretched to the surrounding mountainous and rural areas again.
The Search Continues
They Hoped He Was Okay
Of course, Kaydon’s parents were worried about their young son. They felt scared, nervous, and even guilty because they allowed him to play outside. It took a while longer, but later they found that their precious son was all right, and not alone.
They Hoped He Was Okay
A Dedicated And Close-Knit Community
The Blount County community has proven their dedication and close relationship by staying overnight, distributing snacks and water to their rescue teams. It was their way to help the first respondents who worked tirelessly to search for Kaydon.
A Dedicated And Close-Knit Community
They Were Determined To Find Him
They believed that Kaydon was somewhere out there, and it was just a matter of being dedicated and focused and not abandoning their task until the young kid was safe at home. They certainly haven’t given up yet.
They Were Determined To Find Him
The Daylight Comes
The search for Kaydon was a little less difficult when daylight came. Even though it was certainly not an easy task, no one gave up hoping that the little boy would be safe and sound.
The Daylight Comes
Losing Time
As more ideas came up about places to look that the search crews thought of, it was time to get down to work and find the missing child as soon as possible. The parents of Kaydon were really worried that their child would be alone, frightened, and starving, so everyone was praying that he was okay.
Losing Time
No Stone Left Unturned
The search crews also went to the lake to look for Kaydon because he might fall or drown, but he could not be found anywhere. The Blackhawk helicopter was still on the lookout from the air while some are searching on the ground.
No Stone Left Unturned
Covering All Grounds
The search teams went to the lake to look at the mountainsides and several abandoned buildings because Kaydon could have been hiding overnight in a building to protect himself from the cold. Unfortunately, they weren’t that lucky.
Covering All Grounds
Still Missing
Morning hours had passed, and there was still no sign of Kaydon Leach. His parents tried to think about where he could have gone, or if there was something more sinister that could have happened, the latter of which in their community was very rare.
Still Missing
His Parents Didn’t Understand
It did not make sense for Kaydon ‘s parents that he had suddenly disappeared since he knew his curfew and how far he could go in the area. They knew in their hearts that something did not add up.
His Parents Didn’t Understand
Thinking Outside The Box
The rescuers tried to think like a six-year-old boy to know where Kaydon could have gone while he was playing outside. So they were thinking a little out of the box. They decided to look for places and areas that they would not have considered otherwise.
Thinking Outside The Box
Getting Close
They started looking deep into the woods and abandoned buildings in the area. They had no idea, but they were actually getting closer to finding Kaydon. They felt they could be on something at last.
Getting Close
The Woods
They scoured the entire area when the search crew went into the woods near the community. If the missing young boy wasn’t there, they didn’t know where else Kaydon could have gone.
The Woods
A Startling Noise
The volunteers knew that, as the afternoon went on, they had to search for again before night. The clock was ticking, but they suddenly heard a noise from the woods.
A Startling Noise