Deputies in Michigan were able to breathe a sigh of relief on Friday after they located a 4-month-old baby boy whose mother had dumped him during a suspected drug-fueled episode.
According to their press release, the baby was lying face down and in a hypothermic state when he was found in a wooded area on the banks of an Orion Township creek.
Deputies removed the baby’s wet sleeper and wrapped it in warm blankets before he was taken to St. Joseph Mercy for further treatment and observation. The child is expected to be kept overnight at the hospital and is in the care of child protective services.
“Thankfully, deputies were able to determine a baby was missing, which triggered an immediate large response and search, and they were able to locate the child,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. “Their quick work avoided what could have been an unspeakable tragedy.”
The search was initiated after Police received two 911 calls from residents in the area concerned about a woman who was hiding in the bushing and ringing their doorbells. The callers said the woman appeared distraught and said she believed someone was chasing her with guns.
Despite her not being in the area when they arrived, deputies found the 37-year-old woman and began interviewing her while trying to calm her. During their conversations with her, they learned she had an infant son.
Burrs on her pants suggested she may have been in a field or wooded area.
The sheriff’s K-9 unit was brought in to assist with the search along with 13 Sheriff’s patrol cars and the Sheriff’s drone and aviation unit.
Thirty minutes later, deputies discovered the abandoned baby in the wooded area, cold and wet but breathing.
Deputies quickly stabilized the child with the help of Orion Township emergency medical personnel and he was transferred to a local hospital.
It is believed the case may involve prescription drug abuse. A warrant is being sought for the mother’s arrest on suspected child abuse.
