The radio call that ended a three day search for a six year old in Kentucky woods

The update everyone had been waiting for came over the radio in a few simple words. After a huge search around Louisa, Kentucky, volunteers on horseback said they had found six year old Roman Heilman alive.

"Tower be advised we have found the missing child and he is alive," a rescuer said over the radio. A second message followed right after: "We have located the child."

The call marked the end of an extraordinary search for Roman Heilman, a non verbal autistic boy who disappeared from his home in Louisa, Kentucky. Footage from the rescue shows the six year old wrapped in a bright orange emergency blanket as horseback volunteers came back from a freezing mountain area. Roman was being held by a relative in the aftermath of the search, which ended three days after he vanished.

The boy is believed to have walked away from his parents' home on Tadpole Road at around 4pm on Sunday. Volunteers who found him said he had been hiding in dense woodland. One of them described Roman as "tougher than pig iron," while another woman could be heard laughing with joy and telling him, "You are going to be famous baby."

A search that pulled in hundreds

The effort to find Roman stretched across thick forest and swollen river banks, with hundreds of people turning out to help police look for him. Search teams also used drones and a helicopter as the hunt widened.

The community support went beyond the people physically walking the ground. Erin Evans, a volunteer and retired teacher, said people had been driving by to drop off food, water, flashlights and ponchos for the crews working the search.

Evans said she was proud of how people in Lawrence County and the surrounding area responded. She said she joined because, as a grandparent, she would want the same kind of help if one of her own grandchildren ever went missing. Her view of the effort was simple: it did not matter who needed help, because people would come out and do something.

What searchers found before the breakthrough

Before Roman was located, searchers had already found several items linked to him. On Monday, they recovered a diaper, pants and a jacket that he had been wearing when he went missing on Sunday.

Police said Roman was being evaluated by paramedics after he was brought out, and that more information was expected following his medical evaluation.

For everyone involved, though, the most important detail had already come through loud and clear over the radio: the missing child had been found alive.

Why searches in woods are difficult

Woodland searches are often slower and more complicated than people expect. Thick trees, uneven ground, creeks, brush and changing weather can hide a person from view, block sound and make travel confusing even over a short distance. Young children can also move unpredictably, follow animal trails, or curl up somewhere sheltered and stay quiet, which makes them harder to spot.

That is why search teams usually work methodically rather than simply spreading out at random. They may focus on likely routes, water, clearings, paths and places where someone might stop to rest or hide. For families, one of the most useful rules is prevention: set boundaries before going outdoors, dress children in bright clothing, and make sure they know to stay put if they realise they are lost.

How radio contact helps

Two way radios can be vital in rural areas because mobile phone service may be weak or disappear altogether. A radio lets searchers coordinate quickly, share sightings, warn about hazards and narrow down an area without relying on a phone signal. If a missing person has access to a radio, even a brief call can give searchers a direction, a landmark or clues about their condition.

For everyday use, a simple charged communication plan helps. In remote places, carry more than one way to call for help, such as a fully charged phone, a power bank, a whistle and, where appropriate, a basic radio or locator device. Teach children that if they hear rescuers, they should answer loudly, blow a whistle in short bursts, or make repeated noise by tapping or calling.

What to do if you get lost

The first priority is to stop moving and get calm. Wandering can take a person farther from paths and make it harder for searchers to track them. If safe, stay near an open area or a distinctive landmark rather than pushing through dense brush. Make yourself easier to find: use a whistle, call out at intervals, wave bright clothing, and avoid hiding.

It also helps to know a few simple outdoor habits before any trip. Tell someone where you are going. Carry water, a small light and a layer for warmth. Take a photo of children before setting off so clothing is easy to describe. Small steps like these can make a big difference if a routine outing turns into a search.