A missing six-year-old girl has been found safe in a forested area in northern B.C. after three nights on her own, RCMP say.
The child was reported missing at 6 p.m. on Sept. 19 in the community of Southbank, B.C. about 25 kilometres south of Burns Lake and 200 kilometres west of Prince George.
In a statement, RCMP said the girl was located shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday in a forest area near her home and the Skin Tyee First Nation band office, which officials had searched earlier, leading searchers to believe she was likely moving around during the time she went missing.
“This is the outcome that we all hoped for, she was missing for multiple days, but everyone searching remained dedicated to bringing her home safely,” said Burns Lake RCMP Detachment Commander, S/Sgt. Joshua Smith.
“We are thankful for the support of all our partner agencies and volunteers that worked day and night to achieve this outcome.”
News that she had been found was first posted over a live video feed on Facebook.
Subsequent video showed dozens of volunteers and searchers cheering as the child was reunited with her mother and taken into an ambulance
Volunteers from around the province had joined the search, which also included helicopters and drones from police and rescue services, culminating in what police say was one of the largest search operations ever recorded in northern B.C.