MCSO Thanks Nearly 100 Searchers Who Found Missing Fort Bragg Boy Overnight

Press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office:

[Stock photo of Mendocino Search and Rescue]

On 06/17/2026 at approximately 1523 hours, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to a residence in the 30500 block of Highway 20 in Fort Bragg regarding a report of a missing 10‑year‑old boy.

Responding deputies contacted family members and learned the child was last seen running toward a heavily wooded area north of the residence. Based on the circumstances and the child’s individual needs, deputies determined he was at risk and immediately initiated a search of the surrounding area with assistance from family members and the Fort Bragg Fire Department.

Mendocino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (SAR) volunteers were requested and responded to the area to assist. Approximately 16 members of the SAR team conducted search efforts throughout the night. Several clues were located that helped define search areas; however, the child was not immediately found.

The California Office of Emergency Services was contacted and mutual aid was requested from outside SAR agencies. In the early morning hours of 06/18/2026, approximately 75 additional searchers arrived and were assigned search areas based on information gathered during the initial operations.

At approximately 0835 hours, a SAR team utilizing electric mountain bikes located the child sleeping in a small, abandoned shack approximately one mile from the residence. The child appeared uninjured, was reunited with his family, and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital for a precautionary medical evaluation.

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the following agencies and organizations for their assistance in achieving a safe resolution:

• Mendocino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue
• California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)
• Marin County Search and Rescue
• Napa County Search and Rescue
• Sonoma County Search and Rescue
• Humboldt County Search and Rescue
• Lake County Search and Rescue
• CALSAR
• Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit (BAMRU)
• Santa Clara County Search and Rescue
• Hundreds of community volunteers

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office would also like to thank Harvest Market in Fort Bragg for its generous donation of deli sandwiches to support the search volunteers.