Birmingham Live
·Jul 2026
Mum 'prepared to find son's body' after vanishing on family holiday until she got a call from Birmingham
Sixteen-year-old Rhys Boardman, who has autism and ADHD, disappeared while walking during a family holiday at Talacre Beach Resort in North Wales and spent nearly three days travelling alone toward his home in St Helens. After sleeping rough, becoming dehydrated and surviving on little more than stolen tinned soup, he entered a Birmingham police station, where officers identified him and contacted his mother. His family, North Wales Police, volunteers, local businesses and specialist search teams had conducted an extensive search, while the community also raised more than £3,000 to help the family recover.