A prominent Des Moines lawyer and his wife talked with reporters today about the emotions of finding their teenage son who had been missing for two days. Stan Thompson, a former republican congressional candidate, and his wife Nancy say they were prepared for the worst after their 16-year-old son Matt turned up missing Monday and efforts to find him failed.
Search efforts intensified Wednesday in the woods near the Thompson’s Des Moines home, and around 11:30 Matt was found after he heard searchers and called out. Stan Thompson got a cell-phone call from police and went to the area — but said he still didn’t get his hopes up.
Thompson says the hardest thing about it as a parent is that you don’t expect it to happen and when it does you just don’t know what may’ve happened. Thompson rushed into the woods when he got the area where searchers found his son. He says his instincts and emotions took over and he just wanted to be with his son.
Thompson says the first thing he did was tell Matt “I loved him and was glad to see him.” Thompson says his son had taken a walk as he thought over the family’s pending move to Waukee and apparently got lost.
Matt climbed a tree to try and get his bearings and was injured after falling. Thompson says Matt broke his right leg between his ankle and his knee and had successful surgery on the leg and has also been wearing a back brace as a precaution.
Thompson says he doesn’t know for sure when his son will come home, but hopes it’s in a few days. Thompson and his wife thank all those who gathered to search for their son.