Savior says Texan father was mysteriously discovered ‘lost in the woods’ in a ‘exhausted mental state’

A Texas father who disappeared and mysteriously “wandered in the woods” for a week was found in a “exhausted mental state,” the person who led the search for him has revealed.

Colby Richards, 31, disappeared around 5 a.m. on May 26 without his phone and keys, and search leader Jake Stovall told DailyMail.com that it appeared the father-of-two “didn’t want to be found.”

“He was cohesive, but very dizzy and in a depleted mental state,” Stovall said, adding that the moment the father was found was “joyful.”

In a celebratory Facebook post after he was found safe, Richards’ family said, “Hallelujah and praise the Lord!!!” Colby was found alive! We don’t have any details yet, but we are delighted with the positive outcome.’

Shortly after the disappearance of the father from his home in Spring, Texas, a frantic week-long search was launched.

Stovall said the rescue mission included drones, K-9 units and numerous volunteers, all of whom joined the search after hearing that the “popular” baseball coach was missing.

The urgent search came to an end when a group of volunteers came across the ‘deteriorating, malnourished and confused’ father.

“It wasn’t far from houses or from a park with water fountains, but at the time, I suspect the worsening mental state, he didn’t want to be found,” he said.

“He was confused and hiding.”

Stovall, who runs the nonprofit GulfSAR that led the search for Richards, said it was “always in your mind” that the rescue would only turn up a body.

“It’s a community effort,” he added. “We searched for five days before he was found… it’s incredible, it’s what keeps us going in search and rescue.”

It remains unclear how Richards was able to survive in the wooded area without food and water, and Stovall said they have yet to find any shelters he made during his ordeal.

The mysterious circumstances surrounding his disappearance led Stovall to admit that his main concern was Richards’ mental health, which he says are the most difficult missing persons cases to solve.

“If it’s a fight, a marital quarrel, or something disgraceful like a kidnapping and you find a blood trail, it’s pretty easy to find someone,” he said.

“But when it comes to mental health, it’s really hard to find them because they’re unpredictable.”

Richards was transferred to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Mental Health Unit shortly after he was found.

The sheriff’s department said the 31-year-old will talk to detectives to understand why he disappeared for more than a week.

“However, it will be some time before he is interviewed,” the department added.

In a follow-up social media post after he was found, Richards’ family said he is currently “recovering in hospital.”

“We are not sure when he will be released,” they continued. “He is in good hands with the medical team and we hope for a full recovery.

“We can’t thank everyone enough for the effort to look for him, as well as the Sheriff’s Department, MoCoSAR, GulfSAR, and everyone who showed up to look for him, both in person and online.

“Your love and prayers have been felt throughout our family this week. I’m FINALLY going to get some rest and have a good cry. Thanks again.’

The father’s disappearance sparked an urgent search after he mysteriously went missing around 5 a.m.

His wife, Callie Richards, 34, says she woke up early to find her six-foot husband strangely missing. She discovered he left without his phone or wallet and left the back gate of the house open.

Police would later discover a Yeti coffee cup belonging to the father as they searched the woods near his backyard.

On day four of the search, his wife said the “bizarre” disappearance left her and authorities scratching her head.

“It feels like there are so many things – so many possibilities – it’s really hard not to wonder what could have happened,” she said. Fox 26.

“Normally he leaves for work around 6:30 in the morning,” the mother said, visibly emotional, about the strange disappearance.

“He got up at one point and I just felt he wasn’t there. I’m going down – he’s not there. He’s nowhere.’

Callie Richards added that her husband usually wakes up for work around that time, around 5 or 6 a.m., but she didn’t hear him get ready that morning.

When Callie went outside to investigate, she noticed that the back gate of her house was open – an unusual occurrence for two reasons, according to Callie.

The first, she said, was the fact that Richards usually leaves for his morning routine through the front — and while walking and meditating in quiet areas isn’t atypical for the missing father, it’s not part of his usual pre-work routine.

The second, she told the station with tears in her eyes, is just the detail that normally the father would have been sure to lock the gate to the family home when leaving — which raised a red flag in her mind. aroused.

“I’m going out – I see the back gate is open,” she said Monday. “He never goes out the back gate. That’s not typical.

“I knew right away that something wasn’t right. I called 911.”

Jake Stovall, the leader of a non-profit organization that helped search for the father, said at the time the disappearance left him stunned, adding, “In 19 years I’ve never seen a case like this.”

She added that the devastating disappearance had a heartbreaking effect on their young children, the oldest of whom had become aware of the situation.

“My daughter knows,” she admitted on Monday. “At first we tried to keep it quiet until we could get more information, but she knows.

“She asks questions, morbid questions. She’s very smart. She knows very well what’s going on.’

She added of her one-year-old, “My son bled on me.”