(Police Reports - Photo Illustration/MetroCreative)

BELPRE — Two young Belpre children who ran away in the early morning hours Friday have returned home.

Two boys, approximately 6 and 7 years old, had run away sometime in the middle of the night Friday, according to Belpre Police Dispatcher D. Myers, and the Belpre Police stated in a Facebook post the children returned home early Friday morning and are safe.

Myers said a motorist on State Route 7 saw the children and contacted Belpre Police but the children left before an officer got there. Washington County Sheriff’s Office Major Brian Rhodes said the children were seen near the area of Clement Avenue and State Route 7.

Belpre officers and Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted a search of the area, according to Rhodes, and Belpre officers also knocked on doors in the area.

“Our drone team had been contacted and came down to assist,” Rhodes said.

He said he was notified of the drones being used at around 3:41 a.m. Friday.

Myers said the children returned home before their parents woke up. He also said the mother saw Facebook posts about children being spotted near State Route 7 and asked her children if they had heard anything at school about children running away and one of the children told her it was them.

The woman called the Belpre Police about 10 a.m. to let them know about the children, Rhodes said.

The parents lived on Congress Road, according to Myers, and a Belpre Police officer and a Sheriff’s Office deputy went to talk to the mother to verify they were home and safe.

“They’re fine,” Myers said of the boys.

Neither Myers nor Rhodes has information on why the children ran away or why they returned home or if there have been any referrals made to Washington County Children Services regarding the incident.

Michelle Dillon can be reached at mdillon@newsandesentinel.com