Just horrifying. If they checked the house the first day they would have seen his jacket on the floor and could have saved him.
I don't mean to come across as defending local law enforcement in this case. However, it is important to remember that they were being assisted by larger LE agencies with significant expertise. WHY didn't any of the other, more experienced LE people insist on trying to gain entry to the home? It seems like they were able to contact the owner's for permission to access the property last night, so why didn't they reach out to the owner's for permission in the very beginning?
That being said, we also have to keep in mind that the family didn't report HD missing until the next night. If the dimensions of the chimney are as small as noted in the Press Conference, it is quite possible that HD would have been unable to breathe and (I hope) quickly lost consciousness and died. If this is the case, HD was probably dead before the school even attempted to notify his parents that he was absent.
This doesn't absolve LE for mistakes made, but I hope they (and others) can learn from this and not torture themselves wondering if quicker action could have saved him. It is easy (and understandable) to be angry at LE and the actions that likely should have been made, but I can't imagine the pain that all of them must feel wondering if the outcome could have been different if they had.
I was an ICU/Trauma Nurse for 12 years and I know how painful it is to wonder if something you did or didn't do led to a bad outcome. Most people don't have jobs where a mistake, something overlooked, etc will lead to someone's death. It can be easy to second guess what SHOULD have been done, but LE, first-responders, health care workers, etc often have to make snap decisions that can have heart-breaking consequences.
I feel for everyone touched by this tragedy - his parents, family, friends, neighbors, classmates, searchers, LE and even the media that reported on the case and those of us here that followed it closely hoping for a different outcome. I ultimately feel for HD who will never get the chance to grow up and live his life. I just hope he can see how much he was cared for by so many.