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Michigan State Police successfully located a two-year-old child who had been missing for several hours, according to officials. The Blackman-Leoni Department of Public Safety reported that they received an emergency call on Saturday night regarding the child’s disappearance.
The toddler was last seen around 8:43 p.m. while watching television. About an hour later, the child’s parents alerted authorities that the child was gone, as stated by Darin McIntosh, the director of the local public safety department.
A comprehensive search operation commenced, involving the Blackman-Leoni K-9 unit and the Michigan State Police K-9 unit, along with a helicopter from the Michigan State Police. Numerous law enforcement officials and community volunteers were also engaged in the search efforts.
At approximately 11:33 p.m., the child was located safely. According to authorities, they utilized heat-seeking technology to find the toddler. A video released by the Michigan State Police displays the helicopter’s detection of a heat signal in a wooded area, which was identified shortly after the helicopter arrived in the vicinity.
During the video, a trooper can be heard communicating that the object in the ditch could either be an animal or the child.
Trooper 2 locates missing Jackson County child
Great job by Trooper 2 and our local partners from Blackman-Leoni Department of Public Safety this past weekend!
Using heat seeking technology and within 15 minutes in the area, Trooper 2 located a 2-year-old child, wearing only a diaper, missing for more than an hour. Trooper 2 directed ground units to the child who was conscious and alert and did not appear injured. You can see officers comforting the child as they walked to a waiting ambulance.
After the troopers were directed to the location, they discovered the child curled up in a ditch, dressed only in a diaper. Fortunately, the child was awake and responsive but was reported to be cold. Officers were seen providing comfort before escorting the child to a waiting ambulance.
The child was subsequently taken to Henry Ford Jackson Hospital for medical evaluation and has been reported to be in good condition, according to the Department of Public Safety.
McIntosh indicated that Child Protective Services had been notified about the situation, and a report would be submitted to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office to assess whether any charges would be brought against the parents. He added, “From what we can tell, this is a one-time or first-time occurrence for these individuals.”
Both Blackman Township and Leoni Township are situated in Jackson County, Michigan. On the night when the child went missing, temperatures in the area dropped to the low 40s, as per data from a forecasting site. McIntosh commented that the weather conditions were clear but chilly, with winds contributing to a lower perceived temperature.
The Department of Public Safety emphasized that the search, involving multiple agencies, was crucial, stating that the outcome could have been tragically different without the collaborative efforts to locate the child.
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