An 11-year-old Calgary child’s day home is speaking out as the desperate search to find him continues. The search for Parker Wells entered its sixth day on Tuesday. He went missing from his day home in the 0 to 100 block of Connaught Drive N.W. sometime between 11:08 and 11:41 a.m. this past Thursday. Supported Lifestyles Ltd. and Responsive Children’s Supports Ltd. released a statement on Tuesday confirming that Parker had been in their care the day he went missing. “Parker was in the care of one of Responsive Children’s Supports locations on July 16,” the statement said. “Parker made a sudden exit from the property, and 911 was called in response. “Staff members followed company policy and procedures and immediately went out in search of Parker.” The statement said staff’s thoughts “are with the family during this difficult time.” “We are very hopeful that Parker will soon be found safe and back with his family,” it said. Searching for Parker On Tuesday, police released a map “of Parker’s known and believed route on Thursday, July 16, 2026.” Police said the map “outlines his confirmed movements captured on CCTV.” Police ask anyone in the Thorncliffe area who may have CCTV footage from Thursday to submit the footage to police through the following upload link, regardless of whether Parker is seen: https://cps.ca.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/ca26318270 Hundreds of police officers and trained volunteers are involved in the search for Parker. Calgarians are all asked to regularly check their properties until he’s found. Police are also using artificial intelligence to review large amounts of video footage, which they say would otherwise be extremely challenging and time-consuming. Officers have covered more than 7,000 kilometres of ground looking for Parker over 5,500 total hours of searching. “We are not giving up,” Acting Staff Sgt. Scott Guterson told reporters on Tuesday. “This is every parent’s worst nightmare, and our hearts remain with Parker’s family as they continue to live through this incredibly difficult and heartbreaking time.” Guterson said since Thursday, “a dedicated team has been working around the clock.” “Every tip is being thoroughly assessed, every lead is being followed and every available resource is being used,” Guterson said. “We know this case has touched people across Calgary, and we remain grateful for the support we have received from the public. “We continue to ask anyone with information to come forward and to allow investigators to follow up on leads safely and effectively.” A plea to the public Police took to social media on Monday to talk about the impact AI-generated images and video are having on their investigation. “We ask members of the public to refrain from creating or sharing altered images, AI-generated content or unconfirmed reports about Parker,” police said. “If you encounter AI-generated images, altered videos or unofficial posts claiming to provide updates on Parker, please report the content to the platform and refrain from sharing it.” Police said this material “can create confusion, spread misinformation and divert investigative resources away from credible leads.” On Tuesday, police addressed the public again, this time asking that vigilantism be curbed. “This behaviour is unacceptable and is putting community members at risk,” police said. “Everyone wants to find Parker, and we understand the emotions involved. “But showing up at private homes, confronting residents or organizing your own investigations can hinder our efforts and draws police resources away from the search and investigation.” If you locate Parker Parker is 4’11” tall (150 cm) and approximately 90 pounds (41 kg) with brown hair and brown eyes. When he was last seen, Parker was shirtless, wearing dark shorts and black noise-cancelling headphones. Parker is neurodivergent and non-verbal and may become even more scared if confronted by strangers. If you locate Parker, you’re asked to not approach him and to instead keep him in sight and call 911. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers. A missing person poster is available to download and print through the City of Calgary’s website. Time of the essence Dr. Peter Nieman, a pediatric physician, says the longer the search goes on for Parker, the more dangerous his situation becomes. “One of the things we see as pediatricians is how resilient the body can be,” said Nieman. “Anything more than a week to 10 days, I would say, makes one extremely, extremely worried about things like dehydration and overall safety.” Nieman said Parker will need water if he has not had access to it over the past six days. “You can get around with no food; that’s possible. But water is a critical thing,” he said. “We’re looking at things like dehydration.”
