- Robert Carswell, pictured right, of the Georgia Forestry Commission shares good news with fellow searchers that a lost Warner Robins child had been located unharmed.
When a call for help is made, Robert Carswell is often one of the first to respond. He responds not only in his job as a ranger for the Georgia Forestry Commission in Crawford County, but in his “off” time as well.
Robert is an emergency medical technician, works for his local fire department and is a member of the Houston County Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT), which assists police and firefighters when situations call for extra help.
On May 8, which coincidentally was Robert and his wife Becky’s 30th wedding anniversary, a call came in he knew he couldn’t ignore.
“A little boy was missing in Warner Robins,” said Robert. “He’d wandered off from school late that morning, and by 6:00 p.m. we joined scores of volunteers on what would be a 48-hour search.”
Robert and Becky, who is also a CERT volunteer, canvassed neighborhoods looking for the fifth grader. A total of 25 volunteer agencies participated in the search for the child, who eventually emerged unharmed from a hiding spot not far from school.
“Why do I volunteer?” said Robert. “Because I like to help people. We can reschedule an anniversary dinner. But emergencies need responses right away.”
