One person’s kindness can save a life.
A 2-year-old girl went missing and was found by New York State Trooper Brian Hotchkiss from the top of a mountain in South Bristol on one of the Saturdays. He said 20 to 30 minutes could have entirely changed the outcome of the incident.
When the 911 call came in to the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office for the missing girl, they called the state police to help. Hotchkiss said he knew they were fighting against the clock.
“These missing kids, it can go really bad. It’s time sensitive depending on the time of year, so although it was a nice day the temperature was dropping,” he said.
He along with other members of law enforcement knocked on neighbours’ doors, but with the sun setting soon they had to make a decision fast. Hotchkiss and two other troopers decided to climb the mountain a half mile from the girl’s home.
“The mountain was virtually in her backyard, and there were streams and ponds and all these things that we were all worried about.”
He said it took him about an hour to get to the top. When he reached the top, all he saw at first was grey and brown in the trees, but the he saw a pink dot. He said he knew from dispatch that the girl was wearing a pink shirt when she disappeared.
“I followed the stream and I located the child, she was lying on her stomach on a rock, and I ran over as quick as possible and I saw her arm move and I knew she was alive and my heart just dropped. I was so excited, I ran up she hugged me immediately, she wouldn’t let go.”
He said she was shivering when they found her and another trooper wrapped her in his uniform to keep warm. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital and he said she’s safe and healthy now.
“I still can’t get that out of my head, her turning over and looking at me and throwing her hands up in the air. I’ll never forget that.”
A sheriff’s K9, drone team, and investigators were also called in to respond to the missing child along with the state police.
This story is from march 2021.
Source – Rochester First
