A tense search ended with relief after a young boy with developmental disabilities who had gone missing was found safe in a cornfield, according to the St. Joseph County Police Department.

Officers were called, last week, when the child ran away and was believed to be lost in a nearby field. As daylight faded, concern grew for the boy’s safety. Police quickly launched a full-scale search involving K9 units, a thermal-imaging drone, and assistance from the New Carlisle Police Department, which helped secure the perimeter.

For nearly three hours, officers combed the area without rest until a heat signature from the drone revealed what everyone had been hoping for – the boy, alive and unharmed.

“I was just relieved that we found him and that he was okay,” said the officer who operated the drone. “After hours of searching, you begin to worry that something bad could have happened. Without the drone and the K9, it could have been several more hours, maybe not until daylight, before we would have found him.”

Police officials credited teamwork, technology, and persistence for the successful outcome, calling it a powerful reminder of their mission to protect and serve – especially when it matters most.