FL FL - Dylan Helms, 16, Missing Child Alert, double-leg amputee, in wheelchr, ran away from youth shelter, Santa Barbara & Whitaker, Naples, 26 Sep 2024

[Unalienable Rights]

FDLE

@fdlepio
·
21h

Please share this post! A Florida MISSING CHILD Alert has been issued for Dylan Helms, a white male, 16 yo. Dylan is a double leg amputee and is in a wheelchair. If you have any info on location of this child contact the Collier County Sheriff's Office at 239-252-9300 or 911.

This teen is missing from Naples. Have you seen him?

Dylan is a double leg amputee in a wheelchair, and his hair might be longer than shown in the photo.

www.fox4now.com

Dylan is a double leg amputee in a wheelchair, and his hair might be longer than shown in the photo.

Florida Missing Child Alert issued for 16-year-old boy out of Naples - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale

NAPLES, Fla. (WSVN) – The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has issued a Missing Child Alert for a 16-year-old boy out of Collier County.Dylan Helms<a class="excerpt-read-more"...

wsvn.com

Deputies searching for missing Collier County teen

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Collier County Sheriff's Office are searching for a teenager who was last seen in South Naples and reported missing d a week ago.

winknews.com

CCSO told us that Helms ran away from a youth shelter. Staff observed him leaving but could not catch him because of his wheelchair, citing that he was too fast. Staff do not know of any endangerment.

'Too fast on the wheelchair': Authorities search for runaway teen from youth shelter

Four days after a Naples double amputee teenager ran away from a youth shelter and went missing, authorities continue to search for him.

www.naplesnews.com

Four days after a Naples double amputee left a youth shelter as Hurricane Helene approached with 140 mph winds, authorities continue to search for him.

*****
Sheriff's deputies canvassed Santa Barbara Boulevard and Rattlesnake Hammock Road, but did not find Helms.

 

[moonriverfarm]

Hold on. Is this implying an able bodied person could not catch up with someone in a wheelchair?

 

[thelesis]

CCSO told us that Helms ran away from a youth shelter. Staff observed him leaving but could not catch him because of his wheelchair, citing that he was too fast. Staff do not know of any endangerment.

I was going to ask if he has a motorized wheelchair, but those don't go particularly fast either, do they?
I'm just sitting at my desk with my mouth opening and closing because I can't find anything appropriate to say.

 

[Carovb5]

I hope (& think) that being in a wheelchair helps people noticing him & remembering. As well as i hope it encourages people to help him. I hope it doesn’t make him more vulnorable for people with bad intentions. He sure is fast in that wheelchair if he was to fast to catch up with running… so i think/hope his amputations were a long time ago & no health risk at this moment.

 

[atomicsciencegal]

View attachment 534595
FDLE
@fdlepio
·
21h

Please share this post! A Florida MISSING CHILD Alert has been issued for Dylan Helms, a white male, 16 yo. Dylan is a double leg amputee and is in a wheelchair. If you have any info on location of this child contact the Collier County Sheriff's Office at 239-252-9300 or 911.

This teen is missing from Naples. Have you seen him?

Dylan is a double leg amputee in a wheelchair, and his hair might be longer than shown in the photo.

www.fox4now.com

Dylan is a double leg amputee in a wheelchair, and his hair might be longer than shown in the photo.

Florida Missing Child Alert issued for 16-year-old boy out of Naples - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale

NAPLES, Fla. (WSVN) – The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has issued a Missing Child Alert for a 16-year-old boy out of Collier County.Dylan Helms<a class="excerpt-read-more"...

wsvn.com

View attachment 534598

Deputies searching for missing Collier County teen

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Collier County Sheriff's Office are searching for a teenager who was last seen in South Naples and reported missing d a week ago.

winknews.com

CCSO told us that Helms ran away from a youth shelter. Staff observed him leaving but could not catch him because of his wheelchair, citing that he was too fast. Staff do not know of any endangerment.

'Too fast on the wheelchair': Authorities search for runaway teen from youth shelter

Four days after a Naples double amputee teenager ran away from a youth shelter and went missing, authorities continue to search for him.

www.naplesnews.com

Four days after a Naples double amputee left a youth shelter as Hurricane Helene approached with 140 mph winds, authorities continue to search for him.

*****
Sheriff's deputies canvassed Santa Barbara Boulevard and Rattlesnake Hammock Road, but did not find Helms.

He’s a runaway teen with no known family support system, in a wheelchair, and a cataclysmic weather event. I am so scared and worried for this young man. My teen son is also a full time wheelchair user, and to think of him out there, with no ability to get himself safe when faced by the weather…

I hope Dylan is found safe.

 

[Pseudonymph]

The fanciest power wheelchairs in the world go about 10 mph, and most go no more than 5. (Citation: Googled it) Jogging is about 5 mph, running can be faster but most people can't sustain it. (Citation: Googled that too)

I'm guessing he doesn't have the fanciest power wheelchair in the world, so draw your own conclusions.

 

[kuromiiiilove]

Hold on. Is this implying an able bodied person could not catch up with someone in a wheelchair?

The only thing I will say is this - about 40% of people in America are obese. Do with that info what you will.

IMO MOO

 

[Mauig’ma]

Hold on. Is this implying an able bodied person could not catch up with someone in a wheelchair?

If he’s in an electric wheelchair, yes he can out run people imo

 

[atomicsciencegal]

The only thing I will say is this - about 40% of people in America are obese. Do with that info what you will.

IMO MOO

We know that wherever he was, the place was probably understaffed. Because they always are. I wouldn’t rely on it being the truth that staff saw him leave and didn’t just notice it later when doing headcount. JMO

 

[kuromiiiilove]

We know that wherever he was, the place was probably understaffed. Because they always are. I wouldn’t rely on it being the truth that staff saw him leave and didn’t just notice it later when doing headcount. JMO

I agree! Short of a physical issue that would keep someone from walking briskly, the other option is that they didn’t try to stop him at all.

 

[atomicsciencegal]

I agree! Short of a physical issue that would keep someone from walking briskly, the other option is that they didn’t try to stop him at all.

We’ve seen this in the case of Serenity Dennard as well - the staff there saw and were aware of her leaving, but to follow her or give chase would mean they had to leave all other children unattended.

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Missing People In America

Dylan Helms was last seen on Thursday near the intersection of Santa Barbara Boulevard and Whitaker Road after running away from a youth shelter. Although staff saw him leaving, they were unable to...

www.facebook.com

 

[iamshadow21]

We’ve seen this in the case of Serenity Dennard as well - the staff there saw and were aware of her leaving, but to follow her or give chase would mean they had to leave all other children unattended.

Yeah, I was just thinking of Serenity. Staff have only a moment to make a choice, and with a sixteen year old, I expect they assumed he'd be okay for a while, or come back when he'd simmered down.

MOO

 

[atomicsciencegal]

Yeah, I was just thinking of Serenity. Staff have only a moment to make a choice, and with a sixteen year old, I expect they assumed he'd be okay for a while, or come back when he'd simmered down.

MOO

Exactly. I havent seen if the youth shelter is specifically for people with physical disabilities (doubtful). It’s easy enough for carers and staff to dismiss the abilities of a person with a disability too. I mean, look at our reactions here, we are all like, ‘How far could he have gotten?’

 

[Unalienable Rights]

I found this article from March 2, 2023. Dylan Myers, age 14, was missing from Fort Myers from February 2, 2023 - March 2, 2023. There was no mention of him being an amputee at that time, so the amputation must have been within the last 18 months.

I'm very worried about him. I hope he was able to find shelter before the storm hit.

Missing Child Alert canceled for Fort Myers 14-year-old

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says Dylan Helms has been found safe.

www.wtsp.com

(Scroll down to see the 2023 FDLE missing poster.)

 

[iamshadow21]

Exactly. I havent seen if the youth shelter is specifically for people with physical disabilities (doubtful). It’s easy enough for carers and staff to dismiss the abilities of a person with a disability too. I mean, look at our reactions here, we are all like, ‘How far could he have gotten?’

I live with an ambulatory wheelchair user with electric assist, so for her, it's "how long the battery lasts". It's quite zippy on a flat surface like a pavement. She can easily outpace my walk.

And this was a young fit guy. Watch wheelchair sports sometimes, wheelchair rugby is amazing. Lower limb amputees without upper body disability using a manual chair get great shoulder development, and they can move fast. Especially if it's an active chair with a light frame built for him. I have no trouble imagining he could outpace someone on foot.

MOO

 

[Soulmagent]

I was going to ask if he has a motorized wheelchair, but those don't go particularly fast either, do they?
I'm just sitting at my desk with my mouth opening and closing because I can't find anything appropriate to say.

Me too! plus some eyebrow action.

ETA picture of naples on friday night ,,There should be a ton of people to who have pictures of the area ,I dont know how bad it got in there .
Shocking images, social media videos of Hurricane Helene damage, aftermath in Florida picture 12 is the photo from naples

 

[sunflowermomma]

As others have stated staff probably couldn't chase after him with other youth in their care - but could they have called authorities sooner? Or followed at a distance to keep an eye on him?

Praying he sought shelter with someone he knows - friends or family - during the storm, this is so scary.