Child Pleads For Help Through CB Radio
While some believe ‘Lost Boy Larry’ was a hoax, those who spoke to the boy disagree.
On August 7, 1973, a CB radio operator in California received a disturbing transmission. A seven-year-old, who said his name was Larry, claimed to be lost in New Mexico. The child’s sobbing coupled with the radio’s poor connection made it hard to understand what he was saying.
Nevertheless, he managed to tell the California man that he and his father had been out rabbit hunting when his father collapsed at the wheel. The red and white pickup truck landed upside down in a ditch. His father, who he believed had a heart attack, had not moved since the accident.
Over the next few days, several radio operators in New Mexico, California, Wyoming, and even in Canada, would speak to Larry. The child’s pleas for help were reported to authorities.
Hundreds of people gathered to search for the boy who they thought was somewhere in New Mexico’s central mountains. Military aircraft, with radio tracking devices, were also employed.
Authorities checked for any reported missing child named Larry or a father and son disappearance but there had been none.
A rescue worker in one of the search helicopters spoke to a young boy through the radio but he said his name was David, not Larry…
