Missing 5-Year-Old Found Safe on Oregon Coast

(FLORENCE, Ore.) - A father and son from Cottage Grove found a missing 5-year-old boy Thursday afternoon following a nearly 18-hour search in the area of Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park after the boy was reported missing from the campground.

On the morning of August 5, 2010, Pete Barrell, age 52, and his 14-year-old son Mason from Cottage Grove, noticed a newspaper story about Isaak Benjamin Glenn, who was reported missing Augst 4th by family friends after he disappeared while playing near a campsite being prepared for two overnight stays at the campground.

Having previously lived in the Florence area and serving as the Director of the Siuslaw Watershed, Barrell knew the area well and had many local friends including an Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division trooper. Pete and Mason decided to drive to the area to see if they could help. After arriving at the campground, Pete saw his OSP friend, Senior Trooper Scott Salisbury, and asked what they could do to help.

Salisbury told him to drive up Big Creek Road about 1/2 mile north of the campground, because they hadn't been able to check it yet. Barrell and his son took on the assignment, and drove up to a point where there was a gate and stopped. They got out, took a couple sandwiches and walked down to Big Creek, where they walked downstream and then upstream calling Isaak's name.

After a few calls, they heard what sounded like a boy's voice calling back. They looked across Big Creek and saw Izaak's red hair up a steep wooded embankment where he sat. They walked through the creek, up the hill and reassured Izaak that he was OK and that they would take him back to the campground.

They arrived back at the campground about 1:15 p.m. to the shouts of excitement from everyone at the campground entrance. His mother, Rebecca, ran to the pickup where Pete and his son were. Izaak was reunited with his parents, who gave Pete and his son a big hug and thank you. He quickly ate a sandwich and drank some water, before being checked by medical personnel who came to the campground. Izaak didn't have to go to a hospital. He had multiple scratches on his legs and arms, but other than that and being dirty, he was in good condition.

Rebecca Glenn thanked everyone involved in the efforts to find her son. "My husband and I thank everyone for your support including police, fire, search and rescue, state parks employees, and people staying at the park. You dropped everything to find our missing son, and we will always be thankful to those who found him and all the others who were looking."

The Oregon State Police Criminal Investigations Division detectives, troopers, FBI, Lane and Lincoln County Search and Rescue Teams and their volunteers, Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department, Siuslaw Fire Department, US Coast Guard and many unientified citizens were jointly involved in trying to find Izaak since he was reported missing.

Isaak Glenn was found safe at approximately 1:10 p.m. by two men driving on a dirt road near Big Creek, north of the campground.

He has been reunited with his family and medical personnel are being dispatched to evaluate Isaak. Other than some obvious scratches, Isaak quickly ate a sandwich and drank some water after being brought to the campground by the people who found him.

The search for 5-year-old Isaak Benjamin Glenn is continuing Thursday morning under the direction of the Lane County Sheriff's Office Search & Rescue Unit. Isaak Glenn was reported missing Wednesday afternoon after he was last seen playing with other kids on a hillside behind a campsite at Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park, about 12 miles north of Florence. Lane County Sheriff's Deputy Wade Martin is coordinating the search efforts in and around the campground. Search and rescue personnel from Lane County will be assisted this morning by personnel and resources from Lincoln County.

Twelve searchers and a canine were on foot early this morning searching. The ocean shore is about 1/4 mile west of the campground, and searchers don't believe the boy has traveled in that direction. Oregon State Police (OSP) detectives and troopers are interviewing everyone who stayed overnight at the campground, which had no vacancies for the 70 recreational vehicle, trailer and tent sites. On August 4, 2010 at approximately 5:00 p.m. Isaak Glenn, from Veneta, had arrived at the state park with family friends earlier in the day and was reportedly playing with several other children ages up to 17 near their campsite, as the adult male family friend and his wife were preparing the camp site. They had arrived about 30 minutes earlier to spend two nights at the campground.