Father Thinks He Lost Infant In Woods, Then A Distant Relative Flies In

The forest in Eastern Texas teemed with hundreds of people, their intermittent calls echoing eerily through the silent trees. A sense of desperation hung in the air as they continued to search into the fading light.

It was beginning to seem more and more hopeless, but then one of the dogs picked up a scent that the search team wasn’t expecting.

Oblivious

Gloria Cooper was oblivious, enjoying a well-deserved dinner at Dave & Buster’s restaurant in Houston, Texas with her husband, Jeremy.

Reveling in her time off from her motherly duties, she had no idea that something that would shatter her world was happening 60 miles away.

Gloria hadn’t batted an eye when her ex-husband had whisked their three-year-old son Ezra off on a camping trip… but she would regret it soon. What had his father done?

Into The Forest

Ezra Parrish’s biological father had taken the boy and his siblings to Sam Houston National Forest.

The forest is about an hour north of Houston and is one of the most popular destinations for campers as it is one of only four national forests in the state. But, on that particular weekend, the forest was strangely devoid of hikers and campers.

A Mother’s Nightmare

They arrived at their destination in the early afternoon. The boy’s father had chosen a remote location near Stubblefield Lake, off Forest Road 208, to set up their campsite for the weekend.

However, what Gloria thought would be a bonding experience and a nice adventure for her children would soon turn into her absolute worst nightmare.

The Phone Call

It was 3 P.M. when Jason Slot, Chief of the New Waverly Fire Department, received the phone call. Ezra’s father had reportedly called them as soon as he realized that his three-year-old son was missing.

Strangely enough, he said he had no idea where the boy could have gone. And, with the temperature hovering around 90 °F and rising, time was not on their side.