Emile S., a 2-year-old boy, disappeared in Haut Vernet (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) and is still wanted on Monday July 10. An investigation is open, but no lead is yet privileged.
The next few hours are crucial. The search resumed at 6:30 a.m. on Monday July 10 and intensified to find little Emile S.. The 2-year-old boy disappeared on Saturday July 8 shortly before 6 p.m. in the village of Haut Vernet, in the Alpes-de-Haute -Provence. On vacation with his grandparents in the hamlet northeast of Digne-les-Bains, the child escaped the supervision of his family who were preparing the car to go on an excursion.
The search began as soon as the disappearance of the little boy was reported with an important device and the mobilization of many volunteers. After more than a day of research, Emile S. had still not been found on Sunday evening. “The 48 hours are crucial to be able to optimize our chances and ensure that we can find him”, however indicated the public prosecutor during a press conference.
A judicial inquiry was opened into the causes of this worrying disappearance and entrusted to the Research Section of the Marseille Gendarmerie. “No hypothesis, for the moment, is eluded, none is privileged” either according to the public prosecutor. The thesis of a kidnapping seems “improbable” for the mayor of Vernet, the hamlet being a “cul-de-sac” surrounded by small villages where “we see everything”. The chosen one seems to think that the little boy left alone, “he may have been able to travel a few distances, and perhaps get lost or hide.”
A report after the disappearance of Emile S.
The day after the disappearance of young Emile S., a report was issued and distributed by the gendarmerie with a photo of the little boy. 2 years old, the blond child with brown eyes is 90 cm tall, he wears a yellow top, white shorts and hiking shoes.
The gendarmerie invites all people who have been able to see the boy in the Vernet sector or who have crossed the area to go to Barcelonnette or Ubaye or “go down to Nice, Grasse, Draguignan or Aix-en-Provence” informed the investigators at 04.92.36.73.00.
Where did Emile S. disappear in the Haut Vernet sector?
The child escaped the vigilance of his grandparents and was seen by two witnesses “leaving his grandparents’ place of residence” in a “downhill street”. Emile S. is described by his family as a “very good walker” for his age, but the ground around his grandparents’ home is “steep” with “dangerous areas where he could have slipped” according to the mayor of the city. municipality, François Balique, with franceinfo. “It would be surprising if he went as far as the cliff, but we haven’t ruled out the hypothesis. It’s the first fear we had, so it was raked yesterday. We found nothing”, indicated Sunday evening the public prosecutor.
A major research facility
The search took place on a “perimeter of 5 km” around the grandparents’ house, said the public prosecutor, but this Monday the search area was extended according to the mayor of Vernet, François Balique. More than 30 gendarmes, around twenty firefighters and 11 dog teams, in particular from Saint-Hubert renowned for their sense of smell, were deployed within the search system. They are supported by helicopters and drones equipped with thermal cameras, according to the details of the prefect of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. With the participation of many volunteers in the search, more than 200 people were mobilized on Sunday to find Emile S.