It's astonishing how quickly a young child can disappear. Frightening, really. While national parks definitely are not as tame as city parks, it's still hard to imagine a national park visit turning into a nightmare.
    That's what's transpired at Crater Lake National Park, where an 8-year-old boy seemingly vanished into the air during a stop there with his father the other day. Since Samuel Boehlke became separated from his father this past Saturday near Cleetwood Cove, searchers haven't seen a trace of him.
    "We've got nothing we can hang our hat on," Frank Kral, coordinator of the canine search-and-rescue program for Jackson County (Oregon) Search and Rescue, told the Mail Tribune. "It's been very frustrating."
    Hampering the search not only is the steep, rugged terrain of the park's caldera, but also the weather, as a storm brought six inches of snow to the park. Since the boy was reported missing, more than 200 searchers have been scouring an area roughly six square miles in size.
    You can read the Mail Tribune's story here.