Missing 5-year-old boy found safe

A 5-year-old boy missing since about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday was found safe about six hours later.

About 6 p.m., the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Unit was activated to search for the boy in the 27000 block of Mt. Richmond Road in the northern section of the county, between Gaston and Yamhill.

Deputies learned the boy had been "exploring around his family's 70-acre property with their four dogs," according to Capt. Chris Ray.

The county utilized the assistance of several fire districts and law enforcement entities that responded with about 100 personnel and 15 all-terrain vehicles.

"With darkness and the lowering temperature, the sheriff's office requested assistance from agencies with FLIR equipped aircraft," Ray said.

The Portland Police Bureau responded immediately and joined the search operation with a plane.

About two hours into the search, one of the dogs that had been with the boy was located.  Searchers concentrated near that location, and at about 9:30, the boy was located by volunteers about one mile from his residence.  Several of the dogs were with him.

The boy was cold, but otherwise unharmed.  He was transported by ambulance to St. Vincent Hospital in Portland for precautionary measures.

In addition to the sheriff's office and Portland police, the Forest Grove, Gaston, Tualatin Valley and Yamhill fire agencies responded, in addition to the Newberg-Dundee and Yamhill police departments and Washington County Sheriff's Office.