A three-year-old child who wandered from home Tuesday morning in Steuben County has been found safe — with the family puppy by his side.
The child was reported missing around 11:15 a.m. from a home on County Route 16 in Urbana. Authorities say the toddler may have followed the dog when leaving the house. A massive search effort quickly got underway.
The Steuben County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation, with help from the New York State Police, local police departments, fire crews, and state agencies. K9 Tripp began tracking the child’s scent while ground crews fanned out across the area. New York State Forest Rangers coordinated the large-scale search.
Crews from Hammondsport, Bath, Corning, Chemung County, and beyond joined in. A helicopter from the State Police Aviation Unit was also deployed.
Just after 3:30 p.m., former Savona Village Mayor Tom Drake found the child and the puppy, Archie, near Sonora Road in the Town of Bath — roughly four hours after they went missing.
EMS crews checked the child on scene and released him to his parents.
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