Police boats, hundreds others search for Ukrainian boy missing since Christmas

A day after nearly 700 people turned out to help search for a Ukrainian boy missing from Heemskerk since Christmas Day, police said Monday they will begin to search the waters of Scheybeeck Park in nearby Beverwijk. The missing child was identified as a 16-year-old named Milan, who has an intellectual disability and difficulty speaking.

"We are constantly pursuing every possible lead," said a police spokesperson. Several tips have been received regarding the disappearance, but they have yet to turn into a concrete development. Investigators were able to utilize a boat from the National Police unit on Monday, including sonar equipment for underwater searches.

Milan was last seen on Thursday near the Debora Bakelaan in Heemskerk, Noord-Holland. He may have been walking southwest towards Wijkerstraatweg in Velsen-Noord. The route would bring him straight past the park where police focused their efforts on Monday.

Over the weekend, approximately 675 volunteers helped search for the boy, according to Vermiste Personen Nederland, a group on social media platform Facebook that helps mobilize searches for missing people. The hundreds of people who showed up helped look in 135 specific areas, but without result.

"Unfortunately, Milan not yet been found," Noord-Holland police said in a brief statement. "There are no volunteer searches planned for today, but the police are continuing their search 24/7."

Milan was described as being between 1.80 and 1.90 meters in height with a light skin tone and medium-length brown hair. He was likely wearing a green jacket, dark blue track pants, and black sneakers.

Anyone who may have seen the teenager should contact emergency services by calling 112, police said. "We will let you know as soon as another volunteer search is organized."

This will not likely happen on Monday. "We really want to deploy these volunteers effectively," the spokesperson explained.