Vehicle with missing Perry man inside found in creek bed off Illinois Route 107

GRIGGSVILLE, Ill. — The Pike County Sheriff’s Department provided more information Thursday afternoon about how a Perry man who had been reported as missing was found Thursday morning.

Sheriff David Greenwood said more information about ping notifications was received. The location of Ronald Boston, 82, indicated an area between Griggsville and Perry along Illinois Route 107. He said the radius of the ping was much smaller compared to the pings received on Wednesday, which led officers to a four-mile radius in southern Brown County and a 4.5-mile radius in northern Greene County. The pings received Thursday morning indicated a radius of 88 meters.

Boston was found approximately 75 feet off the east side of Illinois 107, approximately 50 feet down a ravine in a creek bed. His vehicle was on its top. Trees and vegetation nearly completely shielded the location.

Boston was extricated from the vehicle by the North Pike Fire Department, the Griggsville Fire Department and Pike County EMS. He was transferred to a helicopter and airlifted to St. John Hospital, where he is in stable condition. 

The Pike County Sheriff’s Department was assisted by the North Pike Fire Department, the Griggsville Fire Department, Pike County EMS, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois State Police air operations, the Brown County Sheriff’s Department, the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Air Evac and Boston’s family.