SCOTT TOWNSHIP, COLUMBIA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A search continues for a young boy from Columbia County who went missing early Saturday morning.
According to a Facebook post from the Scott Township Police Department, 7-year-old Aiden Ha went missing from the 2800 block of Old Berwick Road, Scott Township, around 9 a.m. on Saturday.
Police describe him as an autistic asian male. They say he is four feet tall with brown hair and eyes and weighs 44 pounds. He was last seen wearing an orange shirt.
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Search crews spent all day Saturday looking for Ha. Concerned neighbors stood shoulder to shoulder Saturday, praying for his safe return.
"He's normally a fun kid to be around. He likes to play with toys. He loves water, but he can't swim," said Charles Steele, a longtime friend of Aiden.
That's why Saturday's search focused heavily on the nearby Susquehanna River, with marine units and helicopters scanning the water, and bloodhounds tracking the ground. Officials say search and rescue boats were deployed around 9:40 a.m. to search for Ha.
Police used BlueJay Academy as a base of operations for the search. They then took more than one hundred volunteers and fanned them out into nearby communities, including Bloomsburg, Catawissa Township, and Scott Township, to make sure every area was covered.
"They're searching the river to see if he went down there. They're just searching everywhere right now. If you take a drive around, you'll see people looking everywhere," Jeff Groshek, Superintendent of Central Columbia School District, explained.
The command post at nearby BlueJay Academy turned into a gathering place for volunteers. Weis Markets dropped off food, water, and supplies to help those searching hour after hour.
"We're all remaining hopeful, and we're going to have a lot of water and a lot of snacks and food here for the people, so they have energy to keep looking," Groshek said.
Groshek says Aiden is well-loved: A boy with a big heart, who connects easily with others even though he is non-verbal. "He is so, so sweet. He loves people, so if anyone comes across him, he will come up to you. He loves hugs. He's just a great kid, and we just wanna find him," Groshek added.
Friends say even as the search stretched into the night, they're determined not to give up, even as worry set in.
"Well, it's getting more concerning. You know you have the hope in the first few hours normally, and then as time goes on, it's harder to keep your hope," Steele said.
But amid the worry, there's still unity, compassion, and faith.
"It goes to show that there are still good people in the world, that people do want to help each other out, and it's just really encouraging," Steele commented.
28/22 News was initially told by officials that the boy had been located safely on Saturday afternoon, but this report turned out to be a false alarm. Ha has still not been located.
Police suspended the search Saturday evening and resumed looking Sunday morning. Scott Township Police ask anyone searching with drones to ground them, as state police helicopters are assisting in the search. They also ask the public to avoid the river and its banks until further notice.
Anyone who sees the missing child is asked to call 911.
