Noah Chamberlin’s body found, community mourns

PINSON, Tenn. — A heartbreaking end to the week-long search for little Noah Chamberlin. Thursday afternoon, fighting back tears, the men who led the charge to find the 2-year-old delivered the news none of us wanted to hear, they had found the toddler’s body.

Noah Chamberlin’s story has touched many across West Tennessee and the country. Thursday, though not in the way they had hoped, searchers were able to fulfill their promise to bring the 2-year-old home.

“We have found Noah Chamberlin,” Chester County Sheriff Blair Weaver said. “He was located about one and a half miles from where he went missing from.”

Noah went missing one week ago. He was on a nature hike with his grandmother and older sister when officials said he wandered off.

“Jesus better have his ice skates on to keep up with him because he was just a bundle of joy,” the family’s pastor Andy Morris said. “He goes at 100 miles an hour, very tough strong kid.”

Officials said Noah was found inside one of the grids searchers had combed.

“This was an area on the outskirts of where we had searched,” Madison County Fire Chief Eric Turner said. “We were back searching it for the second time, it was right on the borderline.”

Thousands of volunteers, civilians, and law enforcement spent days searching in treacherous terrain, freezing temperatures and lousy weather. Officials believe Noah may have even been alive, trying to find his way home as they looked.

“If it had been that day and it stayed warm, hadn’t rained or turned cold we wouldn’t be here talking about this,” Madison County Sheriff John Mehr said. “He would have been recovered.”

Now a community will gather together in mourning to honor a child who touched so many lives.

“They want Noah’s life to be honored in the fact that he brought a community together,” Morris said.

Sheriff Weaver said he believes authorities did everything humanly possible to find Noah.

Officers said they still have no reason to believe foul play was involved in Noah’s disappearance but an autopsy has been requested which officials said is protocol.

No funeral arrangements have been announced at this time.