A missing two-year-old girl was found unharmed Wednesday afternoon, ending an extensive search of a heavily wooded area six miles south of Wadena.
The Wadena County Sheriff's Office and Wadena Fire Department began searching for Brooklyn Sitala at about 1:30 p.m., 45 minutes after she had been last seen at her home along County 103.
Following a quick perimeter search, "we realized we were in an area that needed a lot more manpower," said Sheriff Mike Carr. So he called for more help and activated the mobile emergency operations center. The search team grew to about 60, including members of the Verndale, Bluffton, Hewitt and Sebeka fire departments and officers from the Verndale, Sebeka, Menahga and Wadena police departments as well as the Minnesota State Patrol, which also deployed a helicopter. Tri-County Health Care sent an ambulance to the scene.
A bloodhound from Fargo and a Department of Natural Resources search and rescue team were en route when Verndale Police Chief Cory Carr found Sitala uninjured about a half mile from the residence near U.S. 71 at about 3:20.
"She was crying a little bit - a little shook up," Cory Carr said.
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The mood at the homestead immediately shifted from tense to relieved as searchers regrouped on the driveway, where a tearful Gay Carlson had been anxiously waiting for her granddaughter to be located.
"I just want to say thank you to everyone. I really appreciate it," Carlson told them, just moments before Sitala's mother Katie Carlson presented the girl to the search team, prompting spirited applause. "I really appreciate it."
Katie Carlson said her daughter had been with the family's yellow lab Scooby the entire time. She said the girl told her she had wandered off to pick apples.
"She walked a long way," said Katie Carlson as she held the bashful toddler in her arms. "I'm just so relieved and thankful."
Mike Carr called it "a good end to a bad situation."
Before leaving the scene to pick up her own kids, Wadena Police Chief Naomi Plautz offered some advice: "Hug your children tonight."
