MARSHFIELD, Mass — An 8-year-old Marshfield boy is safe after going missing for about 12 hours.
Marshfield Police Chief Phillip Tavares said the child was found on Hounds Ditch Lane in Duxbury on Wednesday morning after last being seen on Moraine Street in Marshfield around 7 p.m. Tuesday night.
The boy traveled more than two miles through the woods overnight.
Ben Ruggio said he spotted 8-year-old Callahan Pierce in his backyard.
Ruggio said he had just gone downstairs to make tea and take out his two dogs after reading about the missing child.
“I turn my head, and I just see him sitting there. I was like,’ Whoa, is this real?” said Ruggio.
The good Samaritan said Pierce was on his back patio but was hesitant to go inside the home.
“He said he came around through the woods, and it’s a vast woodland right there, so he definitely had a trek. I think he was on the move all night. He said he was here for like an hour just by the chicken coop, listening to the chickens, so that was a good way to get him inside,” said Ruggio.
The Duxbury man brought Pierce into the coop, they collected eggs then went inside for breakfast, a hot cup of tea, and a call to police.
“Thirty seconds later, like 30 cops came running in the house,” Ruggio continued, “He asked me why there was so many cops, and I was like, I have no idea? There’s a police presence everywhere all the time, right? And he looked at me when all the cops came in from all angles and was like c’mon benny you betrayed my trust, but you know it’s got to happen right?”
Ruggio shared Ring video footage of the child leaving the house with first responders.
Duxbury Fire also posted a video the 8-year-old being taken to the hospital after he was located.
Chief Tavares said he didn’t know the boy’s exact condition but said he likely had hypothermia.
“I was in the command center and everybody just you know celebrated,” said Tavares as he described hearing the news that Pierce was found.
Chief Tavares said the 8-year-old was being watched by a babysitter when he took off Tuesday night.
He said Piece had a backpack and believes the boy wanted to run away.
The search used drones, K-9s, airwing, and dozens of first responders.
The Chief guesses the child hunkered down in the middle of the night, making it difficult for infrared cameras to find him, but he likely started traveling through the woods again when the sun came up.
“Marshfield always steps up and helps out in times of need. They’ve spread Facebook messages, they’ve made phone calls, they’ve called in information to us, they’ve offered assistance to us in searching. I know a bunch of people did searching on their own. We didn’t want them going into the woods because that would interfere with thermal cameras and the scent that the dogs are tracking, but they were unbelievable. Marshfield is a really wonderful community,” said Tavares.
Ruggio said he’d like to take the boy to lunch someday.
“He was lovely, he was very charming, a lovely little kid, what I would imagine, very cold but a great kid,” said Ruggio.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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