A 10-year-old girl left her home on Friday evening, chasing her dog, and firefighters and residents searched for hours to find her.
She was found after a two-hour search, and the sheriff is thanking firefighters and the residents of the Wakefield subdivision at State Road 37 and Smith Valley Road. Residents had spread word about the missing child and were walking the streets and around the ponds with flashlights helping to search for her, Sheriff Doug Cox said.
Her mother had discovered the girl and the dog were missing about 5 p.m., and the dog’s collar and leash were at home, and the child’s coat was missing. The family suspected she had gone after the dog, which often runs off to a wooded area. They searched the wooded area and near the home, then called 911 about 5:30 p.m., according to a report from the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff’s deputies searched the area, then called Bargersville and White River Township firefighters to help with their drones as it was getting dark, the report said.
She was found about two hours later, walking down Morgantown Road with a stick, the report said. She had sprained her ankle and had cuts due to walking through brush looking for the dog, the report said.
The dog also was found during the search.
