Heartbroken parents of missing autistic boy Sebastian Rogers break down in tears as they say they feel 'helpless and hopeless' - as cops blast Eye of the Tiger into woods to find him

The heartbroken parents of missing teenage boy Sebastian Rogers have broken down in tears as the hunt for the autistic boy entered its second week.

Sebastian's mother and stepfather, Katie and Chris Proudfoot, said they felt overwhelming 'helpless and hopeless' grief following the disappearance of their 15-year-old son in Hendersonville, Tennessee. 

He hasn't been seen since February 26, when he is thought to have snuck into the Tennessee woodlands near his house. During the desperate search, police blasted 'Eye of the Tiger' - his favorite song - on loop. 

Sebastian's stepfather told WSMV4: 'We're on one constant rollercoaster ride of helpless and hopeless and many other emotions all in one. 

'And it's a never-ending rollercoaster. It doesn't stop.'

Sebastian's mother and stepfather, Katie and Chris Proudfoot, said they felt overwhelming 'helpless and hopeless' grief following the disappearance of their 15-year-old son in Hendersonville, Tennessee

Sebastian lives in Stafford Court, Hendersonville, on the north-eastern outskirts of Nashville, and he is believed to be wearing glasses with a black sweatshirt and sweatpants

Hundreds of trained search team members have combed 2,000 miles on foot throughout Hendersonville. They include mountain experts 

In between shaky breaths, the boy's mom added: 'I wouldn't wish this on anyone.'

The parents also detailed the circumstances surrounding Sebastian's disappearance: 'Everything was pretty normal. He was playing in his room.

'When I told him to go to bed, he did. He said: "Goodnight, mom. I love you."

Given how normal everything was, it came as a complete shock to Katie Proudfoot when she went to wake her son up for school and 'he wasn't there.'

They don't know what would have prompted their son to disappear into the woods in Hendersonville, Tennessee, which lies on the outskirts of Nashville.

The day before, Sebastian, who loves games and has been described as 'smart,' had been 'laughing' and 'joking.'

Sebastian's mother pointed out that it would make 'more sense if we'd been fighting.'

'He hadn't even been in trouble,' Sebastian's stepfather observed. 

By late last week, Craddock said they were 'operating under the assumption that Sebastian walked off', adding that his family had been cooperating

The state Bureau of Investigation released an endangered child alert for the teenager on the day he disappeared - and officials have since deployed drones, dogs, boats, horses and helicopters in the search for him

Katie Proudfoot explained to the interviewer how about three minutes after she found Sebastian's bed empty, she knew something was wrong.

She called her husband, who was at work in Memphis, and told him that Sebastian wasn't in the house. The boy's mother searched for him everywhere, running 'all over the house, outside, inside.'

She looked for him in every closet.

They called the Sherriff's Office and made a report, and the authorities responded within minutes. She said: 'It was rapid fire. They had cars from here down to the [main] road.' 

An amber alert was issued, and state and local forces deployed helicopters, drones, boats, horses, and search-and-rescue dogs. 

Hundreds of trained professionals and volunteers descended en masse to look for Sebastian, combing through 2,000 miles of terrain on foot. 

Among the professionals, there were even mountain and cave experts.

At one point, a drone was rigged with a speaker that was playing 'Eye of the Tiger' on a loop. The Rocky theme is Sebastian's favorite song, and authorities were hoping the song might lure him out of the woods if he was hiding. 

The search continues for 15-year-old Sebastian (left) who has been missing for one week

Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers, 15, is believed to have left his family house with a flashlight in the early hours of February 26. He was reported missing by his parents at around 6.30am

The whereabouts of Sebastian remain unknown, and on Monday, officials announced that they would be scaling down their search in order to transition to 'the investigative side.'  

Throughout their interview, Sebastian's parents continued to be resolutely optimistic, and a note of sincere hope underpinned their answers.

'He's gonna walk through that door, and the street will be flooded again with family and relatives all waiting to hug him and love him,' Sebastian's stepfather said.

After pausing for a moment, Sebastian's mother added: 'That boy's gonna have more friends than he knows what to do with when he comes home'