Missing child found in ditch, police investigating

First Posted: October 28, 2012 - 9:27 pm
Last Updated: October 28, 2012 - 9:27 pm

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Tribune staff reports

Jackson County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a report of a child found in a ditch during the weekend.

A 3-year-old child was reported missing in the Freetown area Saturday afternoon but was found by its parents shortly before two patrolman arrived, Sheriff Mike Carothers said Sunday.

Indiana Child Protective Services is investigating the incident, Carothers said, but the child was returned to their family Saturday.

“The child had been outside playing with some other children and wandered off,” Carothers said. “The child was found playing in a nearby ditch.”

The child required no medical attention, said Carothers, who said the incident could have ended differently, likening it to a situation this summer where two young children ran off from a game of hide and seek with other children and hid inside a car with its windows rolled up on a hot day.

“No one was hurt in either incident, but things could have turned out much worse,” Carothers said.

“Parents need to have a close eye on their children,” he said. “It only takes a minute for them to wander off and find themselves in a life-threatening situation. Fortunately, the child was OK. Either one of these could have turned out real bad.”

Patrolman Dustin Steward and Patrolman Jessie Hutchinson responded to the call, which was reported at 1:49 p.m. Saturday, according to dispatch records.