The idea of a missing child is too much for any family to bear, it’s a parent’s worst nightmare.
4-year-old Evelyn “Vadie” Sides’ family was going through hell for two whole days before the incredible moment they found her. Thanks to a team of police officers, family members and local volunteers in Alabama, Evelyn was brought to safety and reunited with her family.
The young girl was reported missing on March 25th after getting separated from her nanny on a walk in the woods.
After she was reported missing, hundreds of volunteers joined the search party of police officers, drones, helicopters and dogs dedicated to tracking her down.
She had strayed off the path from her nanny, but luckily was followed by her pet hound dog, who kept her safe and helped the search and rescue team find them in the woods by barking.
The Police Department posted a description of the little girl to Facebook and included a note about her dog, hoping it might help residents of Lee County find Vadie.
“She may be accompanied by a hound dog, reddish in color with a collar. An ALEA state helicopter is also in the area for search operations.”
Vadie was very brave and didn’t panic in the situation. Her family posted a video to Facebook after she was found, where she talks about her two-day adventure like it was nothing.
“We took a walk but then I got too fast and got running and got lost and then I started calling for nanny but nanny was too far.” – Vadie
It must have helped her to stay calm to have her trusted hound dog, Lucy, by her side. Staying in the woods overnight would be harrowing for most people, let alone a child!
And she survived two nights before finally being found.
“I slept by a road the first night, and … and the second night I slept where they found me.”
Unsurprisingly, Vadie was a little dehydrated when they found her, but Lee Country Sheriff, Jay Jones, said she was was otherwise unharmed.
They gave her some Gatorade, water, and some snacks, including a banana, which helped her get back to normal. Kids are so resilient!
Sheriff Jones spoke to The New York Times about the rescue.
“The best part of this whole thing was getting to see this child reunited with her parents. Ecstatic may not be a good enough word. It was extremely emotional.”
Andrew Peacock, of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office told the Independent:
“The dog was with her protecting her the whole time.’’
Dogs are everything. They’re loyal, loving, and even heroic when we need them to be.
In tough situations such as these, having a companion can make a world of difference. Lucy the dog was committed to keeping his little human safe, and helped the search party locate them in the woods.
Vadie is proud of how she handled the situation, and doesn’t seem too shaken up by her unplanned adventure!
“I was brave.”
She also recounts sliding down a big waterfall, which seems like it may have been an exaggerated memory or possibly even a dream. Her mother doesn’t seem so convinced about that detail while recording Vadie’s short recounting of her two days.
Kids have such active imaginations!
But her mother is only concerned with what’s important – that Vadie is safe and sound.
“To all of the volunteers who came out in the middle of a global pandemic to traipse around in the woods, sometimes into the early morning hours, God Bless you all. … We have been on an emotional roller coaster the last few days, and today I’m finally starting to breathe normally again.”
Thank goodness she was found and her brave dog Lucy was there to keep her safe and help get her home.
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