A mum has spoken about the brief but traumatic disappearance of her son on Christmas Eve.
Naomi, mum-of-three, needed to get a few last minute stocking fillers in the city centre. She took her children, 11-year-old Beth, 8-year-old Hannah Rose and 5-year-old Jack, along with her husband Ian, for the day out shopping.
She explained on the Ryan Tubridy Show on RTE that the family eventually split into two factions, with Ian bringing Hannah Rose and Jack to Eason’s on Nassau Street. However, a parent’s worst nightmare transpired after Ian, who had been searching for a packet of sweets in store, turned around to realise that Jack had disappeared from view.
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Naomi told Ryan: “Ian rang me when I was in Rituals on Grafton Street with two things in my hand- I dropped them on the ground and ran out with my daughter in tow. He was outside the shop trying to contact the guards. Jack was nowhere to be seen and no one had seen him leave the store.”
The scary ordeal required the family to think on their feet to find Jack as quickly as possible. Naomi had not seen him as she sprinted back from Grafton Street towards Nassau Street, so they headed in the opposite direction towards the art gallery.
She explains that many people on the street were aware at this point that a child was missing and did their utmost to help. Naomi would flag down a person to ask if they’d seen her son, before being informed that they were already looking for Jack.
Mercifully, Jack had not managed to go far- he walked as far as Suffolk Street before another family noticed him and took him under their wing. The kind strangers walked him back to the shop, to the immense relief of his tearful family.
Naomi added: “We were so emotional when we found him that we didn’t get the full story but the mam had asked other people, who were quickly able to say we were outside Easons. He was walked down there with them- he was cool as a cucumber, he was telling her about Junior Infants and his new school and was absolutely delighted with life.”
The mum took the opportunity to thank those who had assisted the family during the frightening incident, particularly staff member Alice from Kilkenny Designs, who provided the group with invaluable support after Jack’s return.
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Naomi says that Alice escorted the shaken family upstairs and kindly treated the children to hot chocolate- although both her and her husband were in too much shock to drink anything themselves.
Naomi said: “When you are in panic mode, it’s actually hard to thank the people who are helping you. I’m sure people who were there on Christmas Eve are listening, such as Alice.”
She then added: “The fear was the worst part. I was running in and out of shops calling his name- it may have only lasted for a few minutes, but it felt like forever.”
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