Missing Foley Boy Okay

Alabama Missing Nine-year old boy wanders away from Highway 59 motel room found in van three hours later suffering from heat exhaustion

by Pat Peterson

Published: Wed, June 25, 2008 - 5:36 pm CST

The image of a police officer carrying her son to safety will be etched in Rita Ray's mind forever. Ray's nine-year old son, Deandre Hodges, was missing for nearly three hours Tuesday.

"I checked the parking lots," says Ray. "I even checked the trunks of cars. I was scared. I could hardly breathe."

Deandre was spending the day with his mom who works at the Key West Inn on Highway 59 in Foley. He wandered off to look for a toy and never came back.

"It was so scary and hard," says Ray. "He's my only child."

Police officers, firefighters, motel employees and guests searched frantically for the little boy. With time running out, Deandre was found curled up on the floorboard of a van and treated for heat exhaustion.

"I thank the police so much," says Ray.

"We're just doing what we're paid to do," says Foley Deputy Police Chief Randy Bishop. "We're doing what we love to do and that's help the people of Foley and to protect them and to serve them."

Deandre was treated with Oxygen, fluids and given cold packs. The boy was back at summer camp Wednesday, playing with friends.

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carl Says:

Thu, Jun 26, 2008 at 5:32 am

To the general public the title of single parent usually carries a stigma with it, not that it’s true but as it seems to a lot of people. Usually it goes something like this, Where’s the other parent,why isn’t he/she not helping, They’re not married because she or he will lose some free benefits and so on. As I’ve said on another thread dealing with the death of the little boy who was left by himself while the mother went to work and the father was at a local bar, There needs to be more places scattered around the county for child care, day and night to help the young working single parent or parents at a reasonable cost or free. Believe me, me and the wife has provided plenty of free child care over the last 10 years and I’m not talking about kin folks either although we’ve done plenty of that too. I imagine there are plenty of people out in the county like us who could help if you could get them organized and checked out, for the safety of the children, but how?

betbet1965 Says:

Wed, Jun 25, 2008 at 8:31 pm

i agree with you seebiscuit on that where is the help for single mothers here. my niece has to pay day care for here child. and the women here need help.

seebiscuit Says:

Wed, Jun 25, 2008 at 6:55 pm

There needs to be more help for single mothers with children. I am thankful that I always had someone to help me out. No one can afford child care any longer. I have a friend that has to pay over $800.00 a month for two children That mother is working and having to bring her child to work so she can proved for him. It is sad that we can go out of way to help other countries but not our own people..