Park employee who called 911 describes first hour of search for missing 6-year-old

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - The man who called 911 to report six-year-old Maddox Ritch missing Saturday sat down with WBTV to retrace his steps.

Rick Foxx, a part-time park employee at Rankin Lake Park where Ritch disappeared, was one of the first people to learn the 6-year-old was missing.

Foxx told WBTV’s Kristi O’Connor he was just walking out of the park office when he met Maddox’s father, Ian Ritch, at the the door.

“[He was] kind of out of breath, maybe confused a disturbed look on his faced,” said Foxx describing the boy’s father. "He said they were walking around the track and the kid got away from him... there’s a fence there behind the trees so he couldn’t have gone far.”

According to the 911 call, made by Foxx on Saturday afternoon, Maddox was missing for approximately an hour before the employee made the call.

“We’ve got a missing kid. He’s been missing for the last 30-40 minutes. Hour maybe,” Foxx said in the recorded 911 call.

As the 911 operator asked for the name of the child, later identified as Maddox, the employee said he was unable to confirm the child’s name with the parents, who were out searching for the boy.

Foxx also described the moment Maddox’s mother showed up at the park.

“The mother, she was frantic. She was disturbed,” he said. “I just hope they find him."

Crews are searching anywhere they think the little boy may have wandered off too, including inside drainage pipes. “We desperately need to hear from those in the park on Saturday,” FBI Charlotte tweeted. If you have any information on Maddox’s whereabouts you’e asked to call the tip line at 704-869-1075.

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