A 4-year-old girl is recovering after search crews found her nearly five miles from where she became separated from her family.
The child disappeared on July 4 at Cape Lookout State Park during the Fourth of July holiday.
Her disappearance triggered an extensive search effort coordinated by Oregon State Parks rangers, the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office, multiple search and rescue teams, the Netarts–Oceanside Fire District, and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter at Cape Lookout State Park.
According to officials, the search took a turn after a campground visitor reported seeing what appeared to be a young child walking alone on the beach.
Searchers followed a trail of small footprints into brush on the Netarts Bay Spit, where they found the girl about five miles from where she was last seen.
The girl was dehydrated and suffering from hypothermia but was taken to a local hospital in good condition. Officials said she was found just before crews were preparing to transition into an overnight search.
Search leaders said language barriers initially made it difficult to determine where the girl had last been seen because many of her family members primarily spoke Russian.
A firefighter who speaks Russian helped communicate with the family and gather information that proved critical to the search.
Officials credited the coordinated effort between local, state, and federal agencies, along with the campground visitor who reported seeing the child, for helping bring the search to a successful end.
Written by Ginnie Sandoval. Sandoval is a news and travel writer for Pacific Northwest Crossing. She covers travel tips, news, destinations, places to eat, and hidden gems across the Pacific Northwest. She can be reached at pnwcrossing@ramsanmedia.com.