Greta Sawyer, with son Beau, 4, who went missing, sparking a search on Wednesday evening in Haumoana. Photo / Warren Buckland
Greta Sawyer, with son Beau, 4, who went missing, sparking a search on Wednesday evening in Haumoana. Photo / Warren Buckland
Beau O'Leary nestles his head into his mum's shoulder, giggling.
"I didn't go missing mum, I just played video games," the 4-year-old says, oblivious to the turmoil he caused 24 hours earlier.
It was 2.50pm on Wednesday when Beau set off on a routine walk to collect macadamia nuts froma tree on a neighbouring property 130m from his house.
Ten minutes later, when he hadn't returned, things turned frantic.
More than a dozen police officers and dogs, and many more members of the public started looking for Beau as darkness descended on the small coastal Hawke's Bay community of Haumoana.
Those involved searched around Hyla Rd, where Beau lives, and the Memorial Park area, just a few streets back from the sea.
His mum, Greta Sawyer, and dad, Kael O'Leary, dropped everything, terrified they would never see their son again, or if they did, what condition he would be in.
"I think once they told us that there were people in the rivers and in the ocean, and stopping cars, my mind just went everywhere," Greta says.
"I was terrified he wasn't going to be okay because it's not like him to wander off.
"My husband was beside himself, he had to drive back from Waipukurau. He left his boss stranded and just drove back as soon as they called him."
At 3pm, on her way to pick up her 7-year-old daughter Mia from school, Greta couldn't find Beau anywhere.
"I drove around and around and then called my friend Danelle to pick up Mia from school, then she came with my boss and we all started searching.
"When it got to about 40 minutes, panic struck."
More than a dozen officers and police dogs search Hyla Rd and the Memorial Park area for missing 4-year-old Beau O'Leary. Photo / Paul Taylor
Police were alerted to a report of a missing boy at about 3.45pm. At the time Beau went missing, he was wearing a grey T-shirt, blue shorts, and no shoes.
"A lot of my friends and I just kept getting super upset," Greta says.
"Because we knew that he didn't have shoes or a jersey on and if he had hurt himself or you know the terrible places your mind goes, but I didn't want him to be cold."
Greta says she is still amazed at how everyone pulled together.
"There was everyone. It was amazing how a community can come together.
"I would like to say a huge thank you to the police. They were absolutely amazing. I couldn't have imagined a better search party situation that they could have done and just Haumoana as a whole."
Beau was found just after 5pm, 100m down the road in the opposite direction to the macadamia tree, at a kindy friend's house he had never visited before.
The moment Beau O'Leary, 4, is delivered back to his dad after going missing for more than an hour. Photo / Paul Taylor
"The house where he was, it didn't look like anyone was home, and it's not a house that he would usually go to."
Beau says he forgot where the tree was. His mum thinks he just wanted to play with a friend.
"He is so oblivious. He has no idea what even happened, and why there was such a commotion. He wants to go to every other friend's house that he can and I've said no."
