SILVER CREEK – The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office helped to reunite a missing toddler with his family late Wednesday afternoon.
According to a media release from the sheriff’s office, deputies received a report of a 2-year-old male child missing from the back yard of his home on Route 5 in Silver Creek.
The child’s mother last saw him on the back deck of their home, but when she stepped away to put clothes in the dryer, the child was gone when she returned.
The child’s mother searched her yard and home without success, and then called 911. Sheriff’s Deputies responded and established a command post. New York State Police Troopers responded and assisted deputies with searching the home, yard, and vehicles to ensure the child wasn’t hiding. Sheriff K-9 Bentley began an area search. The railroad was contacted to slow train traffic behind the home and deputies started interviewing neighbors. Starflight helicopter responded and started an aerial search at the home and worked out from there.
Chautauqua County Emergency Services was also contacted and coordinated the Fire Service response which included Sheridan FD, Silver Creek FD, Sunset Bay FD , Forestville FD, Cassadaga FD, East Dunkirk FD, Evans Center FD, Chautauqua Area Search Team, and Chautauqua County Fire Police. Sheriff’s K-9 Drake joined the search.
Fire Department members began searching the railroad tracks while the K-9 and helicopter searches were underway.
Just prior to starting a massive ground search of the woods, Silver Creek Fire Department personnel searching the tracks, located the 2 year old child south of the tracks in a ravine. He was about 1 1/2 miles from his home. He was uninjured, but frightened. He was reunited with his family within minutes of being located.
Sheriff’s office officials say resources from multiple levels of government and many communities worked together along with neighborhood volunteers, to have a happy outcome.
Additional resources that were responding but cancelled prior to arrival were the County Command 7 vehicle, State Forest Rangers, and a State Police blood hound. The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
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