Crews converge on Lowell tree farm as search for missing 3-year-old boy continues

LOWELL, Mass. — Law Enforcement officials converged on a tree farm in Lowell on Wednesday afternoon as the frantic search for a missing 3-year-old boy continued into its second day.

Search crews gathered at Rollie’s Christmas tee farm as family and friends anxiously awaited word on the status of the little boy.

Activity at Rollie’s Christmas Tree Farm on Wednesday in search for missing Lowell boy Activity at Rollie’s Christmas Tree Farm on Wednesday in search for missing Lowell boy

The boy, named Harry, was dropped off at his babysitter’s house on Freda Lane in the Pawtucketville area around 7:15 a.m. Tuesday morning, according to Lowell police.

A neighbor saw the boy in the backyard at 9:15 a.m. Then at 9:30 a.m., police got a call from the boy’s babysitter who reported him missing.

Hundreds of first responders swarmed the area and spent the day looking for Harry on foot, by helicopter, on bicycles, ATVs, and even horses. They returned to the area around 6 a.m. and the search ramped up again.

“There’s an enormous amount of assets that have been amassed to help look for and find this child, and we’re going to continue those efforts until we do find the child,” said Chief Barry Golner, interim superintendent for the Lowell Police Department. “It seems like they’ve done a really thorough search, they’ve had all the cadets lined up, they did I guess shoulder to shoulder search and still nothing.”

Police say the challenge is this boy went missing near a state forest with a large wooded area and wetlands nearby.

“I would have thought they would have found him a lot quicker, you know, being a 3-year-old and how far a 3-year-old can travel,” neighborhood resident Brian McGee said.

Pools in the area were drained and backyards were searched overnight, Golner said Wednesday. Police also stopped vehicles traveling through the neighborhood, checking backseats and trunks.

Officials are asking residents to keep an eye out for Harry and to check typical places where a toddler would hide.

“Just as a precaution, any body of water, you know it does border the state forest in some areas, any pools, we searched every backyard, every house we could search, so we’re trying to leave no stones unturned and make sure we do our diligence,” Golner added.

Investigators are reviewing home surveillance cameras in the area. The FBI has also been called in “should this investigation go from a missing person to something else,” according to Golner.

Anyone who with information is urged to call 911 or contact Lowell police at 978-937-3200.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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