Searchers found a 3-year-old boy missing for about 45 minutes last week in the best possible place — inside the boy’s home. 

The boy’s parent notified Alaska State Troopers about 4:30 p.m. on March 23 that the child had gone missing while playing outside near the home in the Bonnie Avenue and Rolling Meadows Road area. The neighborhood is in a rural area on the Kachemak Bay side off of East End Road and east of Fritz Creek.

Trooper spokesperson Megan Peters said the parent called troopers after the boy had not been seen for 15 minutes. Homer Police and Kachemak Emergency Services assisted in the search, as did neighbors. 

KES Chief Bob Cicciarella said an incident command had been set up right before searchers found the boy. Peters said a firefighter and the parent found the child inside after doing a more thorough search of the home. 

Cicciarella said officials stood by while all searchers were accounted for and the search was called off.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.