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A two-year-old girl who walked away from her family home in Michigan's upper peninsula with her two family dogs in tow was found safe in the woods.
The young girl, identified as Thea Chase by WJMN, was reported missing around 8 p.m. on Wednesday (September 19) night.
"We're [searching] everywhere around here," Thea's mother, Brooke, told the news station. "It's completely wooded — deep, thick woods around here. There's a swamp over there, so of course we're, like, freaking out. And after about fifteen minutes of searching for her with our friends and family, I called the cops."
The Michigan State Police launched a massive search effort for the girl, using drones and police dogs to search the heavily wooded area with assistance from local residents.
Around midnight, a man on an ATV found Thea about three miles from her home. She was sleeping soundly in the woods, using one of her dogs as a pillow. The other dog was nearby guarding Thea.
"She laid down and used one of the dogs as a pillow, and the other dog laid right next to her and kept her safe," Lt. Mark Giannunzio said. "It's a really remarkable story."