Search for missing 4-year-old in Lafitte National Park swampwaters enters day 5

JEFFERSON PARISH, La. (WVUE) - Search and rescue crews have been scouring Jean Lafitte National Park for five days after a young boy went missing last Thursday evening.

According to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, a 4-year-old boy with autism went missing Thursday, July 15, around 5:30 p.m. The boy was last seen with a parent.

A family member says Ellis Boudean was walking with his mom and his 3-year-old brother when they stopped to fly a kite. The boy’s mother was fixing the kite when he went into the water.

The boy’s mom reportedly went into the water after him but was unsuccessful in recovering him and immediately called 911.

One of his shoes was found floating in the water.

“They came here because they wanted to stop. I love the trails. They loved running on the trails so she pulled over. She just wanted them to have fun before they went home. She was getting the kite ready and not even 45 seconds,” Ellis’ sister Bryanna Aguilard says.

Volunteers, friends, and family members were searching throughout the night.

Ellis Boudean went missing in the Jean Lafitte National Park while flying a kite with his mom... — Ellis Boudean went missing in the Jean Lafitte National Park while flying a kite with his mom and brother.(Family)

On Friday morning, JPSO had a full complement of search and rescue crews near the Twin Canals on Barataria Boulevard.

A spokesperson for JPSO says they are pretty confident the boy is in the water. The area is mostly dense swampland.

“We currently have no evidence that the child is on land, and search efforts are now focused on the area waterways. The land in the area the child was last seen has been thoroughly searched by multiple parties. While access to the park is not restricted at this time, please remember that the area is a nature preserve. It is swampy, covered in dense vegetation, and teeming with potentially dangerous wildlife, including snakes and alligators,” a spokesperson said.

FOX 8 has a crew en route and will have the latest at noon, 4, and 5.

The investigation is ongoing.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.

Copyright 2021 WVUE. All rights reserved.