Panic swept through South Bristol, New York, when a two-year-old girl went missing, apparently wandering into the dense forest that surrounded the community.
As the beloved child’s disappearance prompted concern and fear, state troopers, led by Trooper Brian Hotchkiss, launched a desperate search effort to locate her before nightfall bringing plummeting temperatures and increased danger from wild animals.
Trooper Hotchkiss and his team began their search by knocking on doors throughout the community, but their inquiries yielded no results. With the sun setting, the trooper knew time was running out; the longer the girl remained missing, the greater the chances of a tragic outcome. In a last-ditch effort, Trooper Hotchkiss decided to scale a mountain approximately thirty minutes from the girl’s last known location.
Breathless upon reaching the summit, Trooper Hotchkiss scanned the landscape, which was mostly covered in trees. Then he spotted an unusual pink dot in the distance. Filled with hope, he sprinted toward the pink object, praying it was the girl’s coat. As he approached, he saw the pink spot stationary on a rock near a chilly stream. To his immense relief, the missing girl was there, and she appeared to be unharmed.
Trooper Hotchkiss recounted the emotional moment, saying, “I followed the stream, and I located the child, she was lying on her stomach on a rock, and I ran over as quick as possible, and I saw her arm move, and I knew she was alive, and my heart just dropped. I was so excited, I ran up, and she hugged me immediately, she wouldn’t let go.”
The little girl clung to her rescuer, who had risked his own safety by climbing the mountain in search of her. Shivering from the cold, she was wrapped in a jacket by one of the troopers and taken to the emergency room for a thorough examination. Fortunately, she was given a clean bill of health and was soon reunited with her grateful family.
Reflecting on the unforgettable rescue, Trooper Hotchkiss said, “I still can’t get that out of my head, her turning over and looking at me and throwing her hands up in the air. I’ll never forget that.”
Source: AWM
Thomas Cooper