Thank goodness this story turned out with a safe and sound kiddo. PHEW! He parents must have been terrified. Frankly, this is one of my worst nightmares, as a parent, babysitter and Scout Leader.

I totally agree with KenK about starting to teach them to stay and get found from a young age. In Scouts, we start when they join Beavers at age 5. I started my own kids with the "Hug A Tree" concept at about 2/3 yrs old, in the hopes that they'd have some clue by the time they're 4/5/6, and a good foundation by 7/8/9/10.

I haven't lost one yet, but I'm no expert. Friends and family sometimes ask about the precautions I take when I take the kids to the woods, so I made this little video for them to explain my thinking and precautions. Of course, keeping a close eye on the little ones is paramount, but they can be stealthy.