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Maddox took off during a walk around the lake, said a police spokeswoman.
Maddox's father, Ian Ritch, said he and a friend were walking with Maddox in the park when his son ran ahead, probably triggered by a jogger. Maddox was about 25 to 30 feet away when he broke into a sprint, Ritch said.
Ritch said that he "just gave him a little leeway, freedom" when he let her run ahead, but he had a clear view of his son.
Maddox often runs in front of him but usually slows down and stops to give him time to catch up, said Ritch.
"I could not catch him – I feel guilty for letting him take a step ahead of me before I run after him," Ritch told reporters Wednesday.
Maddox's search
Ritch said that he, the friend who was with them and the park staff members first helped to search Maddox. Gastonia Police Chief Robert Helton said that a part-time park employee had said Maddox was missing.
According to a police call to 911, an interlocutor told the authorities that Maddox's parents had been looking for him for nearly an hour.
"We searched everywhere," said the man on the phone.
Maddox is 4 feet tall and weighs 45 pounds. He has blond hair and blue eyes. Maddox was last seen wearing an orange t-shirt with the words "I am the man", with black shorts and closed-toed sandals.
Federal, state and local authorities sued over 150 prospects, conducted hundreds of interviews, collected surveillance videos from local shops and used dogs, drones, sonars, ATVs and infrared technologies to find Maddox.
Authorities also partially drained the 80-acre lake to better view the shoreline.
Gastonia Fire Chief Phil Welch said authorities have brought in new people every day to search a 250-acre park.
Ritch spent part of Tuesday in the park with the authorities to retrace their steps, the FBI said.
What do Maddox's parents say
Maddox's parents encouraged anyone who may have information about the case to call special number 704-869-1075. His mother, Carrie Ritch, said that his son had a contagious smile and that he was laughing. He likes the park, the bouncy balls and his teddy bear, she said.
"Keep praying for him because I just want my baby to be at home, whatever you like, whatever you can do," she said. "Maddox is my whole world and my reason for living, he is the mother's boy."
Maddox's father said that not being able to find his son was "a torture".
"I do not eat, I do not sleep, I'm just afraid of getting my little boy back," he says.
What the authorities say
Helton, the police chief of Gastonia, said that the authorities wanted to talk to an unidentified jogger who was in the park at the time and to a professional photographer who saw pictures of other children dressed in costumes of the Dr. Seuss.
Hundreds of people were in the park on Saturday, including other blond-haired boys wearing orange t-shirts, Helton said.
"But we need to know if you've seen our blond hair with the orange shirt," said Helton.
The police chief said that any information from potential witnesses will help authorities set a timetable.
Authorities also hope that a $ 10,000 reward offered by the FBI will provide information to help find Maddox.
"We do not want to spend another hour before we find him and bring him home," said Helton this week.
How does Maddox Autism affect research?
Autistic children often have a tendency to wander or flee. When autistic children go away, rescuers learn to know their likes and dislikes, and use familiar sounds, such as the voice of a cartoon character and a favorite song to discover them during research.
Maddox is nonverbal, which complicates the search for him. Hoping that he would respond to his parents' voices, authorities sent pre-recorded messages to Rankin Lake Park.
Eliott C. McLaughlin and Marlena Baldacci from CNN contributed to this report.
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