Download & Print
Cameron "Curly" Crumrine rests in a hospital bed in Methodist Hospital in San Antonio after he was missing for 17 hours.
March 8, 2022
Missing boy found after 17-hour search
The 5-year-old crossed two creeks and slept in a barn
By Jessica Nohealapa’ahi
The Bandera Prophet
After a frantic overnight search for a little boy wearing only a short-sleeve T-shirt, jeans and cowboy boots, 5-year-old Cameron Michael Crumrine is safe with his family. Found this morning at about 11:30 a.m., the child, who answers to the nickname “Curly,” survived a cold winter night with some horses, bulls and his dog.
Curly was last seen Monday evening at about 6:30 p.m., after he left a relative’s home and headed to another relative’s home, both on the family’s 20-acre ranch, Bandera County Chief Deputy Matt King said. Somehow, the child wandered off-path.
He said “he crossed the creek, and stayed in a barn,” Bandera County EMS Director Shannon Griffin said in a Facebook video, adding their dog Rascal was with him, as well.
Numerous law enforcement agencies, search and rescue dogs, and hundreds of volunteers scanned the area on foot, by helicopter and drone. It was Curly who flagged the chopper down.
“I was shaking my hand and waved at him,” the little boy said, who his grandmother Carrie Crumrine estimates traveled more than a mile before he bunked down in a structure for the night.
Curly was airlifted to Methodist Hospital for care and observation, but looked to be in good spirits.
“In a tough old world it is today, good things still happen,” Crumrine said. “I truly believe it was the power of prayer and the community coming together… We are blessed and so grateful.”
Curly was last seen Monday evening at about 6:30 p.m., after he left a relative’s home and headed to another relative’s home, both on the family’s 20-acre ranch, Bandera County Chief Deputy Matt King said. Somehow, the child wandered off-path.
He said “he crossed the creek, and stayed in a barn,” Bandera County EMS Director Shannon Griffin said in a Facebook video, adding their dog Rascal was with him, as well.
Numerous law enforcement agencies, search and rescue dogs, and hundreds of volunteers scanned the area on foot, by helicopter and drone. It was Curly who flagged the chopper down.
“I was shaking my hand and waved at him,” the little boy said, who his grandmother Carrie Crumrine estimates traveled more than a mile before he bunked down in a structure for the night.
Curly was airlifted to Methodist Hospital for care and observation, but looked to be in good spirits.
“In a tough old world it is today, good things still happen,” Crumrine said. “I truly believe it was the power of prayer and the community coming together… We are blessed and so grateful.”
Hundreds of volunteers and multiple law enforcement agencies gathered to look for 5-year-old Cameron.
