ERNUL, NC (WNCT) – Authorities are searching for a toddler reported missing Tuesday afternoon.
The search for the 3-year-old boy is off Toler Road in the Ernul area of Craven County.
Craven County Sheriff Chip Hughes said a grandmother was watching a group of kids, two of which came inside while the three-year-old stayed outside.
They looked for the three-year-old for about 45 minutes before calling law enforcement.
A helicopter with heat-seeking technology is being used to look for the boy.
Volunteers are searching the woods on the ground, and all county resources are being used to search for the boy, Hughes said.
Sheriff Hughes said they were concerned in part because of numerous sinkholes in the area.
He also stressed the importance of trying to find the toddler before it gets dark, citing dropping temperatures.
The Craven County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation with assistance from State HighwAy Patrol, the New Bern Police Department and Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office K9s.
