Listen Live
St. Jude Radiothon 2024
CLOSE

A 5-year-old boy freed Monday after being held captive in an underground bunker for six days is laughing and smiling and playing with his favorite toy dinosaur after being reunited with his family, authorities said.

The boy’s kidnapper is dead, but officials offered no details on the raid that freed the boy — identified only by his first name, Ethan — and left his abductor fatally shot.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Steve Richardson visited Ethan at a hospital, where he was in a private area with heavy security.

“He is doing fine,” Richardson told reporters at a late-night news conference. “He’s laughing, joking, playing, eating.”

Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson had no new details about Ethan’s rescue, and when asked if the boy saw his abductor, 65-year-old Jimmy Lee Dykes, killed during the rescue operation, Olson replied, “He’s a very special child. He’s been through a lot, he’s endured a lot.”

Ethan looks great but will be hospitalized overnight, an uncle told people at a prayer vigil earlier Monday.

Authorities said they were still working on the crime scene and the investigation should continue for several more days. The sheriff’s office said the bomb squad was checking the bunker for potential explosive devices.

CLICK HERE to read story

article courtesy of CNN.com

 

 

Leave a Reply