Dakota “Cody” Trenkle Jr., the 13-year-old who went missing for three days before being found at the bottom of a ravine in Missouri, is finally home after a harrowing hospital stay.
Cody disappeared on July 27 while skateboarding near Goose Creek Lake and was discovered on July 30 by a police dog, severely injured at the bottom of a 240-foot ravine. The fall left him with severe head trauma, multiple brain bleeds, skull fractures, deep bodily wounds, and weakened kidneys.
Immediately airlifted to a St. Louis hospital, Cody was placed in a medically induced coma for two weeks. After emerging from the coma, he began a long road to recovery, supported by his mother, Stephanie Neely.
By late August, just before Labor Day weekend, Cody returned home for the first time since the accident. Despite the severity of his injuries, he remains determined to resume normal life. “I am counting down the days until I can skateboard again,” he told PEOPLE.
Both Cody and his mother shared an update on his ongoing recovery, highlighting the resilience and optimism that have carried him through this extraordinary ordeal.
Dakota “Cody” Trenkle Jr. (right) with his mom, Stephanie Neely, and another son after Dakota left the hospital.
Stephanie Neely
“I am hopeful to return to school very soon, and I am counting down the days until I can skateboard again,” Dakota said, showing remarkable courage despite his accident. “But I know my brain and skull need time to heal.”
His mother, Stephanie Neely, offered additional insight into his recovery. “Cody has been doing so well since coming home from the hospital,” she told PEOPLE. “He still faces some physical challenges with balance, coordination, and strength, as well as some short-term memory loss, but he is making steady progress.”
Dakota “Cody” Trenkle Jr. and his mom, Stephanie Neely.
Stephanie Neely
“He gets pretty frustrated with both, but we are taking the necessary steps to help him fully recover and get back to being 100% Cody,” Stephanie said. “He has quite an extensive therapy and follow-up schedule ahead of him.”
Dakota’s recovery plan includes physical therapy twice a week, weekly occupational and speech therapy sessions, as well as regular appointments with neurology, liver specialists, and psychiatric care to monitor his overall progress.
Dakota “Cody” Trenkle Jr. and his mom, Stephanie Neely, in the hospital.
courtesy Stephanie Neely
In August, Stephanie Neely recounted a deeply emotional moment when Dakota awoke from a medically induced coma. Using sign language, he communicated a simple yet profound message: “I love you.”
“That moment was pivotal for me,” Stephanie said. “It made the past few weeks of stress, heartache, hope, gratitude, sadness, and pain worth it because that small gesture meant my boy was coming back to me.”
