CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Va. — A two-year-old girl was found alive in woods Friday afternoon after a community-wide search that lasted more than 19 hours, bringing a safe end to a response that drew local, state and federal agencies.

The Farmville Herald reported that Virginia State Police said the child was located at about 1:30 p.m. Sept. 25 in woods off Anderson Highway. The newspaper reported that she was safe and alive.

The girl’s full name was released during the missing-child alert. ThinBlueNews is withholding it from this follow-up because she is a minor and has been found safely.

Search brought agencies and specialized resources together

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office led the search with assistance from Virginia State Police, the FBI, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and additional law-enforcement and fire-rescue agencies, according to the state police account reported by the Farmville Herald.

Aviation and K-9 resources were part of the response. Authorities also asked residents to check their properties and asked farmers to review trail-camera footage for possible sightings.

The search began after the child was reported missing Thursday. WTVR reported that Virginia State Police issued a CODI Alert as authorities searched the area. CODI stands for Critical Operation for a Disappeared Child Initiative.

The location named in the alert was in Cumberland County, a largely rural jurisdiction west of Richmond. Woods, acreage and limited sight lines can make a search for a small child especially difficult, increasing the value of coordinated ground teams, air support, trained K-9 resources and information from nearby residents.

A community receives the news it hoped for

Shortly after the child was located, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office posted a brief message of thanks to everyone who participated. The Farmville Herald reported the post read, in part, “thank you — everyone — thank you.”

The successful outcome reflects the combined work of civilian law-enforcement officers, emergency managers, firefighters, federal personnel and community members. It also shows why missing-child alerts and rapid public cooperation matter: each search tool can cover a different gap, from canvassing rural property to checking aerial views and following scent.

Authorities had not publicly detailed which specific team or resource first reached the child in the source material reviewed by ThinBlueNews. We are therefore crediting the full multiagency search rather than attributing the find to one officer, handler or unit.

The reviewed reports did not describe injuries or announce criminal circumstances connected to the disappearance. ThinBlueNews is limiting this account to the confirmed search, recovery and safe outcome.

Sources

Featured image: ThinBlueNews original symbolic editorial artwork. It does not depict the child, responders, K-9 resources or search location. No third-party pixels were used.