TOWN OF OAK GROVE, Wis. - Authorities in Pierce County, Wisconsin are searching for a 5-year-old boy who went missing from his home late Tuesday morning.
Scott Meyer was last seen just before noon at his home at N4842 - 1165th Street in the Town of Oak Grove, which is near Prescott.
Meyer, who goes by "Scotty," is non-verbal autistic, 3 feet tall with buzzed blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing green shorts but did not have a shirt on.
"He's a child that's never been outside by himself, so we don't anticipate that he would ever walk a long distance away," says his mother Barbara Meyer. "We feel that he's close and he's scared," she added.
The Meyer family has three autistic children who were home Tuesday. They say an air conditioner repair man was at the home and two of the children slipped out. One was still in the yard but Scotty was nowhere to be found.
Hundreds of volunteers assisted law enforcement officers in a large-scale search Tuesday afternoon and evening. Law enforcement officers and volunteer firefighters will continue the search overnight and be joined by a plane that has thermal imaging to search cornfields and other nearby places.
If a search is still necessary on Wednesday, more volunteers will be needed. People interested in joining the search are asked to report to Prescott High School at 8 a.m. The school is located at 1220 St. Croix Street. Volunteers should wear long pants, tennis shoes and bring bug spray and water. Shuttles will bring volunteers to the search area.
"We want him home. I want my baby home and I want him safe," says Barbara Meyer. "We just want to thank everybody who has been here to find him because we love him so much," she concluded.
Anyone with information on Scotty's whereabouts should call the Pierce County Sheriff's Office at 715-273-5051.
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