Snoozing boy found in bus after school calls mother about missing son

REGINA – A Saskatchewan mother says she had to call a school bus driver herself after her seven-year-old son fell asleep on the bus and the school couldn’t find him.

Barb Holmes says her son, Lachlyn, was picked up from home in Courval on Friday morning, but Gravelbourg Elementary phoned her later wondering where he was.

Holmes says Lachlyn fell asleep on the bus, and when he woke up the bus was parked at the driver’s house.

She says she found her son by calling the driver at home.

After Lachlyn was discovered, the driver took him to school.

Tony Baldwin with the Prairie South School Division says drivers are supposed to check the bus and hang an empty sign in the back window before leaving, and he says there will be an investigation into what went wrong.

Holmes said the school never called again that day, and neither the transportation department nor the driver called, either.

“My son is the last one off (the bus) so I fully expected the bus driver to come to the house say, ‘I’m sorry, this shouldn’t have happened. It will never, never happen again.’ That did not happen at all,” Holmes said.

Holmes said she did get an apology from the Prairie South School Division, but she said she wants the driver reprimanded.

Even though she said Lachlyn is now home safe, Holmes said he is still scared.

“He viewed the bus driver as his friend. He has always made drawings for him and talked to him quite frequently so it’s very, very much a trust issue as well, and that’s what really bothers me.”