NEWBERRY COUNTY, S.C. — Investigators in Newberry County say a child who went missing on Sunday afternoon has been found safe thanks to an attentive hunter.
The Newberry County Sheriff's Office alerted the community on Sunday that a 2-year-old went missing around 3 p.m. from her home on S.C. Highway 391 near Prosperity. Sheriff Foster said officials had been looking for hours until they received a tip from a hunter who found the child.
Sheriff Lee Foster said the hunter heard the child crying and called and called 911. Authorities used the call to pinpoint their location, and with the assistance of a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division helicopter, deputies found the hunters and the little girl almost a mile from home.
The sheriff's office said the child was taken by sheriff's office vehicle to an awaiting Newberry County Emergency Medical Services ambulance.
"Other than being tired, thirsty, and frightened, the little girl was in good shape," the sheriff's office said in an update while thanking residents, first responders and church leaders for their help and continued prayers. "It was truly a miraculous find."
Authorities also thanked the Newberry Police Department for its assistance.
The sheriff's office updated around 6:30 p.m. that the child had been found safe. Based on preliminary information, Sheriff Foster said it appears the child wandered off on her own.