Missing 4-year-old Huntington Lake boy found safe, authorities confirm

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) — The four-year-old boy who went missing Thursday from a Huntington Lake campground has been found safe.

Rescuers found Christian Ramirez under a tree around 8 a.m. Friday, nearly 24 hours after he disappeared.

The Fresno County Sheriff's Office said he went missing from the Rancheria Campground in Huntington Lake, where he was staying with his family.

Ramirez, who is only 3 feet tall and weighs 40 pounds, spent the night in the woods in a T-shirt and shorts.

“In this situation, in less than five minutes, he just disappeared,” said Fresno County Sheriff's Lt. Brandon Pursell.

The Fresno County Sheriff's Office quickly launched a criminal investigation to find Christian.

Dogs, helicopters and nearly 70 rescuers, including some from the U.S. Forest Service, searched for the boy through the night, navigating steep and rocky terrain.

Then a few hours after sunrise, a breakthrough.

“We're lucky this morning that as searchers called the boy, he called back,” Pursell said.

Members of the Tulare County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team found Christian under a tree about a quarter mile from the family's campsite.

“Huntington is known for having bears. There are big cats up there too. We also have snakes. There are a lot of little hazards up there. Slip and fall hazards and waterways.”

Authorities say Christian and his family are in good spirits and grateful for his safe return.

Now, as campgrounds fill up for summer, officials are reminding parents to closely monitor their children and tell them what to do in an emergency.

“If you go into the area, especially in the woods, around waterways, and you have young children, you have to constantly supervise them. During any small break, the child can disappear,” said Pursell. .

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