I wanted to share this story last week, but time got away from me. I love to hear positive news stories because it seems there is a plethora of negative ones. This one happened in my home state.

The story begins with every parent’s worst nightmare. A two-year old toddler was watching TV when his parents left the room. When they returned, they found the apartment door open and the child missing. This was about 8:45pm.

A search effort, including two K-9 units and an Michigan State police helicopter, was launched. Law enforcement officers and volunteer community members also participated in the search. The mission was critical since temperatures dropped into the 40s that night and the parents said their toddler was only wearing a diaper at the time.

The helicopter was already in the air when the call came in. It was piloted by Michigan State Police Sgt. Cole Martin and Tactical Flight Officer Brandon Franklin.

“En route, we said, ‘We got to find this baby as soon as possible.’ We have children of our own,” Franklin recalled. “We weren’t leaving until we found that child,” Martin added.

The two were using “Heat-seeking technology” to locate the child. After searching for 15 minutes, Martin and Franklin said they saw something moving in a ditch, just off a highway. It was about 11:30pm.

The helicopter began tracking a heat signal in a wooded area. The signal was detected about 15 minutes after entering the area. “It’s in a ditch. I can’t tell if it’s an animal or the child,” a Michigan State Police trooper can be heard saying during the two-minute video. Then one of the troopers can be heard saying, “We got him!” What a relief that must have been. The two hovered over the area and directed the police on the ground to the child.

The toddler was found conscious and alert and taken to an area hospital before reuniting with his parents.

The Department of Public Safety said the “incident would have undoubtedly ended in tragedy” without the use of technology and the dedicated people who were searching for the child.

Thank goodness for a happy ending.