JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A 6-year-old boy who found himself lost at Little Talbot State Park in late May was found just over two miles away with the help of a scent jar.
All officers at Huguenot Beach responded to Little Talbot State Park on May 26 when a mother couldn't locate her child with autism.
According to an incident report by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the mother was at the Little Talbot State Park restrooms when she lost sight of the boy. She looked for him for 15 minutes before officers were called to help search.
JSO said every officer at Huguenot Beach responded to the state park by 6:45 p.m. to assist in the search, including a K-9 unit, air unit and drone unit.
After officers searched the immediate area without locating the child, officers created a scent jar with the boy's clothing which lead them in the direction in which the child was ultimately found.
The boy was located 2.2 miles away from his last known location. JSO said it took 21 officers to cover the 2,500-acre state park and find the boy.
Sheriff's offices encourage parents or guardians who care for a child on the autism spectrum, someone prone to get lost or someone with dementia to own a scent jar of their loved one.
"We give these to families, and what they do is put a piece of clothing or a piece of cloth that has been on that individual, that child or adult, they basically store it in that jar, they put it on a shelf and leave it there," JSO Public Information Officer Christian Hancock said.
When a person goes missing, bloodhounds smell the jar and track the individual down.
"They work really well," Hancock said. "The dogs we have work really well."
If your family would like a scent jar, you can contact JSO at (904) 630-0500.
