15 Near Jacob Lake in Northern Arizona (Update: Body of Missing Boy Found)

5 year old Jerold Joseph Williams went missing on Thursday, August 6, 2015 near Lake Jacob in Northern Arizona. According to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, the Colorado City boy went missing at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday while chasing grasshoppers 100 to 200 yards from his campsite. His mother said she lost sight of him, and she and others from the campsite looked for Jerold for the next four hours. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a call on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. of a report of a missing 5-year-old boy at a campsite 12 miles south of Jacob Lake.

Missing:Jerold Joseph Williams

Coconino County authorities are searching for a 5-year-old boy who went missing from a campsite about 12 miles south of Jacob Lake.

According to Gerry Blair with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Jerold Joseph Williams and his mother were camping with 15 to 20 friends and relatives at an unimproved campsite in the area of Highway 67 off of Forest Service Road 241. The area lies within the northern portion of the Kaibab National Forest.

Jerold was chasing grasshoppers when his mother lost sight of him at approximately 1:30 p.m., according to sheriff’s office spokesman Gerry Blair.

Jerold is described as a white male, approximately 3 feet 6 inches tall and about 35 pounds. He has a thin build, light complexion, brown eyes and brown hair that is cut very short. He had visible facial abrasions and was last seen wearing a gray or tan shirt, blue jeans, hiking boots and long underwear.

UPDATE I: Multi-Agency Task Force searches for 5-year-old boy near Jacob Lake.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies were immediately dispatched to the campsite. Upon their arrival they spoke with the missing child’s mother who identified her son as Jerold Joseph Williams. According to Mrs. Williams, she and her son were with 15 to 20 other friends and family members who were camping in the area.

UPDATE II: Search continues for 5-year-old Jerold Williams, Jacob Lake.

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Coconino County Sheriff’s Office posted a notice Friday night on its Facebook page that the case is still active and ongoing with ground and air resources. The post noted that radio and phone communication is limited in the search area, which may account for limited updates.

The typical Kaibab National Forest area is high mountainous area, Kane County Director of Emergency Services Alan Alldredge said.

From what members of his Search and Rescue Team who assisted in the search Friday said, it sounds like pretty heavy forest, Alldredge said, maybe a lot of downed trees in the area that made it kind of hard to work their way through.

UPDATE III: Search enters 3rd day for Jerold Joseph Williams, 5, missing in northern Arizona.

Sheriff’s Office spokesman Gerry Blair said rescuers searched for Jerold Joseph Williams by air and foot on Friday and continued during the night with ATVs and foot patrols.

U.S. Air Force helicopters equipped with night vision will continue scouring the rugged terrain in a remote area north of the Grand Canyon, Blair said.

Heavy rains and 40-mph-plus winds Friday limited the amount of time searchers were able to utilize aircraft and created extremely muddy conditions, according to Blair.

Improved weather conditions Saturday aided the approximately 300 to 350 searchers and allowed for the use of more air resources, Blair said.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with any information to contact the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at 928-774-4523.

UPDATE IV: Body of missing 5-year-old boy found in N. Ariz.

The search for a missing 5-year-old boy who wandered from his family’s campsite north of the Grand Canyon last week ended Monday evening when searchers located the child’s dead body, officials said.

Coconino County sheriff’s officials did not immediately release further details. A sheriff’s spokesman said the body was found in an area with poor cell reception and, as a result, communication with investigators was limited.