Police recover lost boy

 By PISAI GUMAR

POLICE have found a boy from Wabag, Enga, who went missing two years ago in Lae – but now they cannot locate his family.

Jerry Michael went missing from the DCA beachfront in Lae and said he was taken to a village in Morobe Patrol Post.

Rural Patrol Unit police conducting a festive period operation on the Huon Gulf coast and found him at Sapa village.

Police said Jerry told them he was lured by the operator of a banana boat to take a ride in his vessel. He was then taken to Zigori village.

Jerry said he lived with his father (Michael) at 4-Mile and had gone to the DCA beach with friends for a swim one weekend in 2012.

“When I hopped on the dinghy, the operator took me to his village and left me with his family for the past two years,” he said.

“The only transport in and out of Zigori village is by canoe or boat. So I started to learn how to paddle a canoe and negotiate waves. Last December, I decided to paddle to Lae but I ended up further south at Sapa village.

“At Sapa, I was taken care of by a woman named Barbara, who is the niece of the principal of Morobe Technical High School.

“When I saw police officers coming ashore, I walked over and hopped on their boat. Police questioned me and I revealed my ordeal.”

In Lae, police took Jerry to 4-Mile to look for his father but they could not locate him.

Jerry is now living with Jeslyn Tanikepe at Tent Siti police station. He is appealing to his parents and relatives to contact Tanikepe on 7255 1745 or 7052 5267. Police are looking for the owner of the banana boat who kidnapped him.