Missing autistic boy found after two nights in woods

SKAMANIA COUNTY, Wash. - Some 70 people joined the search Sunday for an 11-year-old autistic boy from Portland who went missing Saturday in a rugged area of forestland in southwest Washington.

Just before 7 a.m. Monday, search crews located the boy in good condition and began to hike back to a trailhead.

According to authorities, the boy, Alex Irvin, and his father, Bruce Irvin, were hiking on the Siouxon trail east of Amboy when they decided to split up and meet up at Siouxon Falls. When the boy didn't show up, his father went looking for him.

Kayla Al-Khaledy, who was camping in the area, told KATU News she saw the boy walking quickly by himself about 6 p.m. and thought it was odd he was alone.

The boy seemed momentarily captivated by a man in the area shooting a bow and arrow, and then members of her group lost sight of him at a different waterfall located more than a mile from Siouxon Falls.

"His dad came up to us around 9ish and was like 'Have you seen my son?' and we said we saw him like three hours earlier but we hadn't seen him recently," Al-Khaledy said.

The boy's family called 911 for help about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Undersheriff Dave Cox, a spokesman for the Skamania County Sheriff's Office.

Some 70 people had joined the search by Sunday, using search dogs and horses and all-terrain vehicles. Communication was spotty in the area, and crews worried that Alex might not respond when they called his name.

Rescue crews said the temperature overnight was in the 40s and was definitely survivable. However, the boy was only wearing shorts and a jacket.