More than 100 people are out searching Thursday for Devin Davis, a missing 2-year-old boy from Cleveland, Texas, who is believed to have wandered out of his home Tuesday. The search, however, is likely a recovery mission, according to a missing-person search-and-recovery group that is assisting law enforcement.
"You always keep the hope, but I think everyone understands at this point in time we are more in a recovery mode than a rescue mode," Ken DeFoor, a search coordinator with Texas EquuSearch, told The Huffington Post.
In addition to Texas EquuSearch, multiple law enforcement agencies and emergency services workers are out searching for Davis.
DeFoor said the areas being searched for the boy are heavily wooded, infested by alligators and extremely dangerous.
"There are snakes everywhere, large wild hogs and alligators," he said. "We have cautioned searchers not to stand close to the edge [of waterways], and we have a gunman with each search team to keep alligators back if that becomes an issue."
An Amber Alert was issued for Davis on Tuesday afternoon. According to the Liberty County Sheriff's Office, the boy's mother, April Davis, said she last saw her son when she took a nap with his 1-year-old sibling. When she awoke at about 3:30 p.m., she discovered a door to the home unlatched and the child gone. Davis also said the doors to her Jeep were ajar.
The distraught mother searched for her child for approximately 35 minutes before notifying police. Her call to 911 triggered the full-scale search and an Amber Alert, police said.
Davis and her husband, Mike, have denied requests for media interviews. Davis spoke once to reporters Tuesday, telling ABC13.com that she was shocked by her son's disappearance.
"I just don't understand how someone can disappear off the face of the earth. He's never done anything like this before," Davis said.
The Davis family has only lived at their home in Southeast Texas for about a week. According to The Houston Chronicle, Mike Davis was discharged from the military after serving in Bosnia and Iraq. The family moved to the area from Virginia this month after he got a machinist job.
On Wednesday, the FBI and Texas Rangers interviewed the Davis family. A spokesperson for the sheriff's department said authorities have not ruled out the possibility of foul play.
Meanwhile, DeFoor said searchers today are concentrating on some small bodies of water, as well as some nearby wooded areas.
"We started at 6:30 this morning and put our sonar boat in a reservoir that is approximately a quarter mile from the [Davis] residence," DeFoor said. "Another search team is west of us searching some areas of woods along County Road 2252."
Devin Davis is described as a white male, with red hair and blue eyes. He is approximately 30 inches tall and weighs about 40 pounds. He was last seen wearing a red and gray jersey T-shirt and jeans. He was not wearing shoes. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Liberty County Sheriff's Office at 936-336-4500 or Texas EquuSearch at 281-309-9500.
Texas EquuSearch is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Those interested in making a donation can do so by visiting texasequusearch.org.
SEE PHOTOS FROM THE SEARCH FOR DEVIN DAVIS:
