Heat-seeking technology helps locate missing 2-year-old child wearing only a diaper

A two-year-old child was safely rescued by Michigan State Police after vanishing for several hours, officials said. 

The Blackman-Leoni Department of Public Safety said in a news release that it responded to a call about the missing toddler on Saturday night. The child had last been seen watching television around 8:43 p.m. local time. About an hour later, authorities were called and told the child was missing. Darin McIntosh, the director of public safety for the township, told CBS News that the call was made by the toddler’s parents. 

A search effort, including the Blackman-Leoni K-9 unit, the Michigan State Police K-9 unit and an MSP helicopter, was launched. Law enforcement officers and volunteer community members also participated in the search, the department said. 

The child was safely found around 11:33 p.m. Authorities say they used heat-seeking technology to locate the child. Video released by the Michigan State Police on Monday shows the helicopter tracking a heat signal in a wooded area. The signal was detected about 15 minutes after entering the area, the Michigan State Police said. 

“It’s in a ditch. I can’t tell if it’s an animal or the child,” a Michigan State Police trooper can be heard saying during the two-minute video. 

Two officers on the ground were directed to the area, the Michigan State Police said on social media. They found the child in a ditch, curled up and wearing only a diaper. The toddler was “alert and conscious,” but cold, officials said. The troopers can be seen holding and comforting the child while walking him to a waiting ambulance. 

The toddler was taken to Henry Ford Jackson Hospital for evaluation and is “in good condition,” the Department of Public Safety said. 

McIntosh said that Child Protective Services was made aware of the incident, and a report would be filed with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, which would determine if charges were filed against the parents. 

“From what we can tell, this is a one time occurrence or first time occurrence for these individuals,” McIntosh said. 

Blackman Township and Leoni Township are both located in Jackson County, Michigan. Overnight temperatures in the county on Saturday were in the low 40s, according to forecasting site Weather Underground. McIntosh said the weather was clear but brisk, with occasional wind making it feel colder. 

The Department of Public Safety said the “incident would have undoubtedly ended in tragedy” without the multi-agency search.