Search for missing Monroe Co. children ends with safe return home
MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The search for three Monroe County siblings has a happy ending when the trio were found safe in the woods near their home.
That search and rescue effort Thursday afternoon brought together first responders from numerous agencies who used their skills, training, technology, and a K9 team to track the kids.
As soon as Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies requested assistance for a missing persons call on Doss Drive, the county’s Emergency Operation Mobile Command Unit and Search and Rescue Team were headed to the scene, along with other first responders.
“We wanted to try and get out there and make a difference and help the community,” said Amory Fire Chief Zack McGonagill
He was making sure the Monroe County Search and Rescue Team had whatever resources were needed to find the missing kids, ages four, six, and seven.
The base for operations was the Mobile Command Unit. Inside, there is still a diagram of the search area on a dry-erase board. Tony Garza is the search and rescue team commander. He says technology and training were put to use.
“We use drones, science-based off lost person analysis, trackers we put on teams that overlay on maps live feeding into our command posts, live data where our teams are searching at,” said Garza.
Once foottracks were found in fresh mud, a K9 team from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks was called in.
“About 15 minutes after all of that started coming together we were able to locate the children. They were in great spirits, happy to see us, and had a few scratches, other than that they were happy, and glad someone came out there. They told us a story of how they did a treasure hunt and were chasing a cat through the woods,” said Garza.
IT can only take a couple of seconds for kids to slip away unnoticed in a wooded area. Garza says there are some precautions parents and guardians can take.
“Accidents happen, that’s why we train, seen numerous cases where you briefly take eyes off the children and they’re gone. The biggest thing is talking with children and helping them to understand that if you ever get separated this is what you do, kids that age, if you get in a situation where you realize you are lost and need help, just stop, don’t move around anymore, stay in that area and let us come find you,” said Garza.
Garza is glad this search and rescue call had a happy ending, and there was even a bonus for the kids.
“Funny thing for us, somehow or another, in a Halloween bucket, they had a baby kitten in it,” he said.
Garza estimates there were more than 100 first responders, many of them volunteers, helping in the search and rescue effort.
