Roman Heilman was located alive Tuesday after disappearing Sunday afternoon in Lawrence County, Kentucky State Police said.
LOUISA, Ky. — A 6-year-old Kentucky boy who had been missing for nearly two days was found alive Tuesday after hundreds of volunteers and emergency personnel joined an extensive search in Lawrence County, according to Kentucky State Police.
Roman Heilman disappeared Sunday afternoon after he was last seen on Tadpole Road in Louisa at about 4 p.m. State police issued an IAN Alert as crews searched the rural area. On Tuesday, authorities announced that Roman had been found safe and was being medically evaluated. Officials did not immediately disclose the exact location where he was found or explain what happened during the time he was missing.
Emergency crews had searched the area since Sunday, with local, state and federal agencies taking part alongside hundreds of community volunteers. Searchers covered wooded hillsides, riverbanks and other difficult terrain around Lawrence County as authorities worked to locate the child. Kentucky State Police thanked the agencies and volunteers involved after Roman was found.
The search began after Roman was reported missing late Sunday afternoon. Authorities initially described him as approximately 3 feet tall and weighing about 60 pounds, with light blond hair and blue eyes. Those identifying details were distributed while the alert remained active to help search teams and members of the public recognize him.
Lawrence County emergency officials also circulated information intended to help searchers make contact with Roman if they encountered him. Local reports said authorities noted that he was known to respond to the children’s song “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” prompting searchers to use the song while looking through the area.
The effort quickly expanded beyond law enforcement. Hundreds of volunteers gathered Monday to assist organized search teams, according to local reporting. Residents and emergency personnel worked through rural areas near Louisa as the search continued into a second day without an immediate sign of the child.
Kentucky State Police had issued an IAN Alert after Roman disappeared. The state uses the alert system in cases involving missing children under 18 with autism or mental illness who may be in danger. The system is intended to quickly distribute information to law enforcement agencies, news organizations and the public when officials believe a vulnerable child is missing.
State police confirmed Roman was found safe on Nov. 3 and canceled the missing-child alert. Officials said emergency crews located him in the Louisa area and that he was undergoing medical evaluation. Authorities had not released further details about his condition, where he spent the time he was missing or the circumstances that led to his disappearance.
The recovery ended a search that had stretched from Sunday afternoon into Tuesday and mobilized a large number of responders and volunteers. Kentucky State Police said local, state and federal partners all participated in the effort and publicly thanked the hundreds of community members who helped search for Roman.
As of Thursday, authorities had announced no additional information about the circumstances surrounding Roman’s disappearance or recovery. The central update from state police remained that the 6-year-old had been found safe after the multi-day search.
Author note: Last updated November 5, 2026.