LA LA - Ellis Baudean, 4, in water near Twin Canals Trail, Jean Laffite Nat Hist Park, 15 Jul 2021

[ttcRider]

were they in a field or clearing? A bit tricky flying a kite in the woods or with trees around. JMO

 

[mynoyb]

they work for me

Great. Still don't for me

 

[mynoyb]

Thank you, @rainynights!

 

[realanastasia]

Knowing that he was autistic makes me even more concerned for the welfare of this 4-year-old child.

Ellis vanished Thursday evening while visiting the Marrero park with his mother and 3-year-old sibling. WVUE television said a relative reported that they stopped to fly a kite, and that the mother was handling the kite when she heard a noise. She turned around, saw the younger child pointing toward the water and realized Ellis was missing, authorities said.


Autistic children usually tend to go wander off sometimes, they just simply enjoy exploring. Maybe he did exactly that and accidentally fell into the water. While he wasn't found by his mother when she searched for him in the water, they did find his shoes.

Wait, did the mother briefly stop paying attention because she was "handling the kite" before she "heard a noise" and realized he was gone, OR was she walking back to her car, as the other reports indicate, right when her son went missing? My question isn't meant to imply that she is at fault in any way, only that I'm confused about why some news sources seem to have different information about the circumstances that prevented the mother from seeing what happened to this little boy.

 

[YaYa_521]

Wait, did the mother briefly stop paying attention because she was "handling the kite" before she "heard a noise" and realized he was gone, OR was she walking back to her car, as the other reports indicate, right when her son went missing? My question isn't meant to imply that she is at fault in any way, only that I'm confused about why some news sources seem to have different information about the circumstances that prevented the mother from seeing what happened to this little boy.

According to Sheriff Lopinto, mom was headed back to her car. If what the relative says is true (that mom was in the process of fixing a kite), maybe she needed a kite-fixin' tool or more kite string, which may have been stored in the car. Just a guess and MOO.

SBBM

Search becomes recovery mission for 4-year-old missing in Jean Lafitte National Park
16 Jul 2021

SBM

"The mother was walking back to her car and heard something. She didn't know if it was a splash," Lopinto said.

When the woman turned around, Ellis was gone and the 3-year-old was pointing toward the water. The woman jumped in but wasn't able to find her son, authorities said.

4-year-old missing in Louisiana national park swamp waters ‘teeming with dangerous wildlife’
A family member said Ellis Boudean was walking with his mom and his 3-year-old brother when they stopped to fly a kite. The boy’s mother was fixing the kite when he went into the water.

 

[Mistree]

Trigger warning:
I am not from the South and have never visited Louisiana.
How likely is it that an alligator dragged him into the water and or he is ingested by one at this point?

 

[Rotten apple]

Trigger warning:
I am not from the South and have never visited Louisiana.
How likely is it that an alligator dragged him into the water and or he is ingested by one at this point?

My thoughts as well- MOO
Poor baby

 

[mynoyb]

Trigger warning:
I am not from the South and have never visited Louisiana.
How likely is it that an alligator dragged him into the water and or he is ingested by one at this point?

Happened down here in FL a few years back at a Disney resort.

 

[swanniee11]

Trigger warning:
I am not from the South and have never visited Louisiana.
How likely is it that an alligator dragged him into the water and or he is ingested by one at this point?

OMG, the visual in my head alone, dear God. Then the mom went into the same water looking for him. ( reportedly) Makes me ill. IMO

 

[Gigi3]

Trigger warning:
I am not from the South and have never visited Louisiana.
How likely is it that an alligator dragged him into the water and or he is ingested by one at this point?

This is absolutely heartbreaking. I’m from Louisiana, and it can happen in an instant! We actually live on a lake that has gators, and when my kids were little, it was a constant fear of mine.

I hope they can recover this precious boy soon.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Apparently, he either went in by himself, or fell in. His mother turned away to get something from her vehicle, or to fix the kite and was not watching him closely. She thought she heard something (a splash maybe) and turned to look. She noticed her three-year-old pointing to the water, and did not see him anywhere.

His shoes were found in the water. I wonder what kind of shoes they were. If tennis shoes, they'd be harder to come off of his feet. If flip flops or sandals, they'd probably come off easier.

I hope she got some information from the three year old. Not all 3 year old's talk a lot, but mine were jabber jaws!

 

[LaborDayRN]

Happened down here in FL a few years back at a Disney resort.

I remember that. So frightening! Poor little boy.

 

[LaborDayRN]

were they in a field or clearing? A bit tricky flying a kite in the woods or with trees around. JMO

Anyone from LA know if it was windy that day?

 

[alexwood]

Anyone from LA know if it was windy that day?

I looked it up earlier. The wind, at the time they were at the park (between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.), was between 8-9 m.p.h.

 

[LaborDayRN]

I looked it up earlier. The wind, at the time they were at the park (between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.), was between 8-9 m.p.h.

Thanks @alexwood

 

[rainynights]

ICYMI: @HeathAllenWDSU reports authorities have suspended their recovery efforts for the night for 4-year-old Ellis Boudean. The autistic child fell into the Twin Canal/Barataria Reserve Thursday. They’ll continue Sunday. @wdsu



https://twitter.com/ShermanWDSU/status/1416560331070087169

BARATARIA, La. — Search and recovery efforts have been suspended Saturday evening after crews searched much of the day for a 4-year-old who went missing at Jean Lafitte National Park.

The boy, identified by family as Ellis Baudean, went into the water at the Twin Canals around 5:30 pm Thursday and has not been seen since, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office.

[...]

The best available sonar and search equipment, divers, and multiple watercraft have been deployed as part of the search efforts, according to Lopinto.

[...]

Search and recovery efforts for missing 4-year-old to resume Sunday at Jean Lafitte National Park
Updated: 7:36 PM CDT Jul 17, 2021

 

[LaborDayRN]

ICYMI: @HeathAllenWDSU reports authorities have suspended their recovery efforts for the night for 4-year-old Ellis Boudean. The autistic child fell into the Twin Canal/Barataria Reserve Thursday. They’ll continue Sunday. @wdsu

View attachment 305081

https://twitter.com/ShermanWDSU/status/1416560331070087169

BARATARIA, La. — Search and recovery efforts have been suspended Saturday evening after crews searched much of the day for a 4-year-old who went missing at Jean Lafitte National Park.

The boy, identified by family as Ellis Baudean, went into the water at the Twin Canals around 5:30 pm Thursday and has not been seen since, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office.

[...]

The best available sonar and search equipment, divers, and multiple watercraft have been deployed as part of the search efforts, according to Lopinto.

[...]

Search and recovery efforts for missing 4-year-old to resume Sunday at Jean Lafitte National Park
Updated: 7:36 PM CDT Jul 17, 2021

Oh my. Look at that water. The visibility must be almost zero.

 

[swedeheart]

I can't say that I've ever seen a kite flown in any swamp I've ever been in, but who knows. Many trees (with long spanish moss hanging from them, unstable land areas that can become water quickly, and not to mention the massive spider webs.)

The gator comment, possible... sadly.

Hope they can locate little Ellis soon.

 

[borndem]

Here's a Google Maps view of Jean Laffite Nat. Park. If you click on the pic of the gator, you'll see probably hundreds of pics that show the area's landscape, environment, and wildlife. I'm still looking for an area that would be suitable for flying a kite...in July...in Louisiana's hot, humid, still air. IJS

Thanks much for the map and the tour, @YaYa_521 -- Amazing pics.
It's gator country, I'd say. Well fed and afraid of nothing.<shiver>

Kids can slip away so quickly. I'm sure we've all panicked when our little 3- or 4-year old disappeared in the -- department store, or parking lot, or grocery store, or restaurant, or hiding in the backyard, or garage, or closet, or playground, or, or, or....
Keeping good thoughts, but also dreading to read whatever the next news article might say...

 

[borndem]

From the Lafitte National park searchers: "We currently have no evidence that the child is on land." Hearing this just makes my heart sink, even though I knew we would hear something like this soon.
I'm sure the Search & Rescue/Recovery) crews and the Park Service persons have done this same type search many times. Sad and scary.
We can still hope...