On Monday, March 4, 2024, two Michigan parents faced a terrifying situation. Their toddler pushed through a screen, wandered off into the forest, and was missing. Thankfully, this story has a happy ending.
The Van Buren County Sheriff's Office came to the rescue. Deputy Eric Calhoun and his police dog Kuno were on the case. Kuno is specially trained to find children. The pair were able to find the missing 3-year-old. The rescue was caught on bodycam footage.
Officers first responded to the scene in Geneva Township at around 4 p.m. The toddler was last seen about 30 minutes before then, so he had a head start.
Deputy Calhoun and Kuno’s first clue was a footprint in the mud. This led to a body of water, which was quite scary. The boy was eventually found just 50 yards away from the water. He was only wearing a diaper in the cold weather.
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Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel Abbott was thrilled with this happy outcome. “If we weren't to locate that kid when we did, you're talking three, four, or five minutes, that kid might have wandered in one of those ponds, we'd have a different outcome,” he explained.
He went on to praise Deputy Calhoun. “This is a deputy on his days off, sets up trainings with other agencies so he can stay on point with this dog,” he gushed. Kuno has rescued five children since joining the force in 2017.