Local

New playground opens at Gastonia park where Maddox Ritch disappeared

GASTONIA, N.C. — It's been seven months since search crews packed Rankin Park, trying to find 6-year-old Maddox Ritch, who ran away from his father while visiting the park.

The tragic search touched many in the Charlotte community as everyone in the area prayed he would be found.

Friday, it was a different story as the park was back open and the sound of children playing has taken over the park.

Past coverage:

"You just get to run around and express your feelings out here," 10-year-old Amati Mathieu said.

Watch the video above as Channel 9's Gaston County reporter Ken Lemon shows us the new upgrades to the park. 

Channel 9 reported some of the upgrades to the park were in honor of Maddox Ritch, but we would like to clarify our story. The City of Gastonia said the new playground was planned before the Maddox Ritch tragedy.

City officials released a statement saying in part, "While the City of Gastonia will remember Maddox with some kind of memorial at the park sometime in the future, we don’t want the public misinformed about the new playground or the intent of the upcoming ribbon-cutting. The ribbon cutting event for the new playground is not related to Maddox Ritch and any memorial at the park will be scheduled in the future and well publicized so that those interested can attend."

The playground's ribbon cutting event is Thursday at 3:30 p.m.