Boy went missing while skateboarding near a creek—his brother’s one discovery helped save his life days later

The teen had been missing for 96 hours when he was finally found and taken to the hospital.

PUBLISHED 13 HOURS AGO

(L) A teen boy with a skateboard. (R) A rescue worker looking for someone. Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Westend61; sarote pruksachat

Remarkable things might happen if people don't give up on hope. One family didn't give up on hope, either, when their teen son went missing for days. Their efforts paid off and the teen boy was found alive at the bottom of a ravine. It all started when 13-year-old Dakota Trenkle Jr. went missing while skateboarding near a creek. The authorities didn't start a search immediately as they thought the teen was a "runaway," per the mom, Stephanie Neely. However, the family sought help from volunteers and finally found a clue that led to a surprising result, per PEOPLE.

Rescue workers looking for something. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Alena Paulus

Dakota was found after days and survived without food or water for that duration. He was in quite a critical condition when people rescued him from the bottom of a ravine. The teen was still in recovery at the time of writing. He was last seen on July 27, when he was skateboarding, per a Facebook post from the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Office. Neely told PEOPLE that she had contacted the police immediately after her son didn't come back home. But as they didn't start a search for the teen, the woman contacted her sister, Brittney Van Volkenburg, who works as a volunteer firefighter. Van Volkenburg reached out to the fire department and managed to form a search team for the first two nights.

"We had volunteers bring in their drones and offers of dogs. We never stopped looking for him," Neely recounted. Eventually, on July 30, Dakota's brother saw his skateboard half a mile away from their home. It was a crucial clue that eventually led to Dakota's rescue. Neely contacted the detectives once again and they requested help from the K-9 units, but the dogs would not enter the ravine. However, soon enough, a bloodhound, Darrell, from Farmington Correctional Center's K-9 unit, was assigned and he was able to track the teen through his scent in 21 minutes. He was at least in one foot of water inside a deep ravine located in Goose Creek, MO, per the Facebook post.

A service dog wading through the water. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Ashley Cooper

"Dakota sustained a traumatic leg injury and endured 96 hours of being exposed to the elements without food or water," the statement from the regional sheriff's office read. "Due to Dakota’s current condition, he was airlifted by ARCH helicopter to a St. Louis area hospital for emergency medical care." The department explained that they hadn't found any signs of foul play in the case, but they were still looking into the details. Dakota was placed in a medically induced coma because of a brain bleed, per PEOPLE. His mom explained that he was found in a shaded area, which limited his exposure to direct sun. As he was partially in water, his body temperature remained cool and he wasn't as dehydrated.

A teen boy is unconscious at a hospital. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Krit of Studio OMG

"Since then, I have been at the hospital, by his bedside in PICU, watching him fight for his life in critical condition. There is no leg injury, but severe head trauma, including several brain bleeds. Right now, he is on a lot of mechanical support and will be for quite some time," Neely continued. The teen has a long road to recovery ahead. So Van Volkenburg started a GoFundMe page to help the family deal with the unexpected medical expenses. They have managed to get $22,115 out of their $26,000 goal.