Central Okanagan

Photo: Contributed - Google Maps

Location of the Lake Country Husky station

With the help of a Good Samaritan, a disabled 17-year-old Kelowna boy was reunited with his family after going missing for nearly an hour in Lake Country on Sunday.

On February 3, at about 11:45 a.m., the Lake Country RCMP received multiple reports of a young person seen walking northbound along Highway 97 from the Husky gas station in Lake Country. The reports indicated that the child did not seem appropriately dressed for the sub-zero temperatures and appeared disoriented.   

A concerned Lake Country resident found the disoriented boy wandering on his property, noted that his hands were cold, his clothing was wet, and immediately called police. He brought the boy inside his home in order to warm up and get some water to drink.

Police later reunited the boy with his parents and learned that the boy has special needs and is diagnosed with C.H.A.R.G.E. Syndrome, which is a disability comprised of numerous conditions. The boy's parents were in the Lake Country area at a church function and believed him to be in his class when he had actually wandered off. When his parent's realized that he was not in class as expected, they were relieved to hear that he had been located so quickly.

Thanks to the assistance of the concerned citizen, tragedy was avoided as the boy did not realize the danger in which he had placed himself.

The boy was examined by BC Ambulance Service paramedics for precautionary reasons before being released into his parent's care.