Casey Hathaway missing: 911 call released in disappearance of 3-year-old
CRAVEN COUNTY, N.C. (WPVI) -- UPDATE: Casey Hathaway has been found alive, authorities say.
Original post below
The search for missing 3-year-old Casey Hathaway has extended into a third day.
FBI investigators said weather conditions at the search site are treacherous. Heavy rain and strong winds are pounding the area in Craven County, North Carolina where Casey was last seen.
WTVD-TV reports, conditions are so difficult, FBI agents are only allowing professional searchers to continue to look in the woods for Casey. Volunteers may still come and sign up to be contacted later, but as of Thursday morning they are not allowed to participate in the on site search.
K-9 units with the National center for Missing and Exploited children have arrived in Craven County to assist in the search.
The 911 call that was made in reference to Casey's disappearance, which was released Thursday, shed new light on the situation. The caller said that family members had been searching for Casey for almost an hour before calling police.
"It's been at least 45 minutes, cause we've been looking all in the woods for him," the caller said.
The operator then asked where the child disappeared.
"Is it directly behind your house?"
"Yeah...well on the side...yeah," the caller said.
Later in the conversation, the caller hinted that Casey's disappearance was out of character for him.
"Does he usually do this?"
"No," the caller stated.
The FBI set up a tip line to take any information about Casey's disappearance. That number is 252-636-6703.
Casey was first reported missing Tuesday afternoon after the two children he was outside playing with went inside Casey's grandmother's house without him.
According to National Weather Service data, the night Casey went missing, temperatures in Craven County were below freezing for roughly six hours.
Sheriff Chip Huges said the child wasn't dressed properly for the weather.
Casey is 2'4", weighs 25 pounds, has strawberry blonde hair, and brown eyes.
He was last seen wearing a blue coat and dark-colored pants.
Here's a timeline of his disappearance:
Jan. 22
1 p.m.: Casey goes missing while playing with two other children in his grandmother's backyard
1:45 p.m.: 911 call is made to report him missing after his family searched for him for 45 minutes
Jan. 23
7:30 a.m.: Authorities encourage volunteers to meet at the intersection of Aurora and Toler roads to assist with the search
9 a.m.: Roughly 55-65 volunteers search the area. Authorities announce they have no leads, according to WCTI
9:30 a.m.: Volunteers grow to as many as 200; officials stop accepting additional volunteers for the search
2 p.m.: Sheriff Chip Hughes said divers were searching ponds near the grandmother's home; said they won't stop searching until the boy is found
Afternoon: FBI, state investigators, and Marines join search efforts
5 p.m.: Hughes said they're treating it like a missing child investigation
6 p.m.: The community gathers for a prayer vigil
9:30 p.m.: All volunteers end the search for the night
Jan. 24
8 a.m.: Search efforts resume
10 a.m.: FBI said only professional searchers will be used due to safety concerns with the weather
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