Two-Year-Old Lost In Woods Overnight

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She’s no Bear Grylls, but clearly the wilderness has nothing on 2-year-old Kamiyah Vicks. PEOPLE reports that Vicks was reported missing on Tuesday night from the Port Wentworth area of Chatham County, Georgia. The toddler wandered for 15 hours throughout a wooded area including being lost overnight until rescuers heard her cries not far from her home according to the Savannah Police Department.

Port Wentworth police Major Lee Sherrod told CBS News that Vicks’ mother reported her missing. The two-year-old was last seen when her mother (who remains unidentified by the police) was spotted pushing the girl in a stroller on Tuesday. Around 7 a.m. the following morning, she was seen without the little girl when police say they found the mother in distress in what appeared to be a crisis situation before taking her to the hospital where she was interviewed. Shortly after, rescue crews started searching for Kamiyah. They found her stroller knocked over and her mother’s flip-flops near a neighborhood lake. This helped narrow the search area.

Bianca Johnson, a spokesperson for the police department reports that the weather was not on the rescue crews’ side and time was important factor in finding Vicks:

“It was extremely hot, inching toward 100 degrees on Wednesday. We were very, very concerned for her safety.”

“[Port Wentworth police] pretty much called all the neighboring jurisdictions in to help.”

Crews used boats and helicopters in their search, but ultimately Savannah police recruits Robert Parker, Ernest Mobley and Luis Esquina discovered the little girl just before 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Johnson describes the moment when the team first found the toddler:

“They came in and they formed a line … and just started walking through the woods. At that point, they were not only looking for her, but any type of clue that she might have been in that area.”

“They heard a cry and, when they did, they knew that it was a human cry and not an animal. They took off running and found her. She was hidden in a brush and you could see them pull her out of it.”

Vicks was taken to the hospital after the rescue and treated for minor cuts and bruises, but miraculously nothing major. Johnson says it’s amazing that Vicks was discovered unscathed:

“She was in very good condition considering the fact that she had been in the woods alone overnight.”

“You’ve got rattlesnakes, bugs, spiders, everything.”

Esquina’s body cam recorded the moment the team heard Vicks’ cry and Cadet Robert parker pulled the baby from the brush. Parker shared he and his fellow cadets were in a report writing class when their corporal announced they would be needed to assist with the search.  He says he’s grateful that his training led to a child’s life possibly being saved:

“My reaction is relief because these things don’t always end up this way.”

“The child screamed because she heard us, I’m sure. She’d been out there for quite a while, but, you know, open arms, ready to go. She was thirsty. She was tired and she was hot. So we got her the proper medical treatment and hopefully get her back reunited with her family.”

All the cadets recently graduated from the Savannah Police Academy, but this is their second week of a seven-week training with the Savannah Police Department. Esquina shared how relieved they were to find Vicks and credits a very special member of the crew for her rescue:

“It was a relief.”

“It’s a two-year-old baby, so I thank God every single day that he’s able to bless us and help us to get to where we’re at. I thank God he was there on our side today.”

Savannah Police Department Chief Matt Libby said the case is still under investigation. As of Wednesday officers didn’t yet know if the mother could face criminal charges or if the case would be handled by Division of Family and Children Services.

You can view footage of the moment Vicks was found below: