HILTON HEAD, SC — The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to help find a missing 12-year-old boy who was reported missing on Hilton Head Island. Deputies say there is active concern for his safety and well-being.
Authorities identified the boy as Dominic Caruselle. He was reportedly last seen Monday morning in the Palmetto Dunes area while visiting from upstate South Carolina.
Deputies say Dominic Caruselle was last seen in Palmetto Dunes
According to the sheriff’s office, Caruselle disappeared in the Palmetto Dunes section of Hilton Head Island. That is where he was reportedly seen for the last time Monday morning.
The agency has not released additional details about where he may have gone after that or what led deputies to raise concerns so quickly. For now, the search centers on gathering any information that could help locate him.
Officials said the boy was visiting from upstate South Carolina, but they did not provide a more specific hometown.
What he was wearing when he vanished
Deputies shared a description of Caruselle’s clothing to help the public spot him. He was reportedly wearing a white shirt, gray shorts, a black hat and carrying a black backpack when he was last seen.
Those details may be important for anyone who was in the Palmetto Dunes area Monday morning or who may have seen a child matching that description elsewhere on the island. The sheriff’s office did not say whether any other identifying features were available.
How to contact authorities with tips
Anyone with information about Caruselle’s location is being urged to call 911 right away. The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office also provided its non-emergency dispatch line at 843-524-2777.
Deputies said they want anyone who thinks they may have seen him, or who may know where he is, to contact law enforcement immediately. Officials did not say whether search teams or other agencies were involved beyond the sheriff’s office.
Why the sheriff’s office is treating the case as urgent
The sheriff’s office said there is an active concern for the boy’s safety and well-being, underscoring the urgency of the case. That statement suggests deputies want the public to treat the report seriously and act quickly if they have any leads.
No further explanation was given about the circumstances of his disappearance. The office has also not said whether foul play is suspected or whether Caruselle had any known destination planned after he was last seen.
What residents and visitors on Hilton Head should look for
Because Caruselle was last seen in a busy resort area, deputies are relying in part on people who were nearby Monday morning. Visitors, workers and residents in the Palmetto Dunes area may be in the best position to remember a child fitting the description.
Authorities are asking the public to pay attention to the clothing described by deputies, including the white shirt, gray shorts, black hat and black backpack. Any sighting or tip, even one that seems small, could help investigators narrow down where he went.
The case remains focused on locating the missing child
For now, the sheriff’s office is concentrating on one immediate goal: finding Dominic Caruselle. Deputies have not announced an update on his location or provided a timeline for when he was first reported missing.
Until more information is available, the public plea remains the main step in the search. Anyone with credible information is being told to contact 911 or the sheriff’s office dispatch line without delay.
