Louisiana authorities have done a great job in finding a baby abandoned overnight in a field along Plank Road. The child was miraculously discovered alive and healthy on Wednesday after an hours-long search by police and first responders on the ground and a helicopter overhead.
Finding the infant unscathed, an EMS spokesman said, was nothing short of “a miracle.”
Based on the cold temperature, first responders feared the child might suffer from hypothermia. However, the baby appeared strong to the surprise of the Baton Rouge Emergency Medical Services who found the infant near Plank Road, just off Hooper Road.
The child, who was roughly eight months old, “didn’t even cry” during the rescue, EMS spokesman Mike Chustz said.
“The timing didn’t give us a lot of hope,” he added, “but the baby was tough.”
Law enforcement officials began searching for the child on Wednesday morning after the mother turned herself in for medical treatment, The Advocate reported.
Around 6 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said the baby’s mother showed up at the Harding Road fire station and was brought to the hospital. While being transported the following day to a different hospital for treatment, the mother mentioned her baby, Baton Rouge Fire Department spokesman Curt Monte said.
BRFD immediately contacted a relative of the woman, who said the mother had the baby with her when she left her apartment on Tuesday evening.
After learning that none of the family members knew where the child was, officials launched a massive search for the child that involved firefighters from multiple cities, police officers, a helicopter and at least one police dog.
Officers scoured the woods between Plank and Hooper roads, about a mile from the woman’s apartment, according to Monte.
Eventually, Baton Rouge police officers were able to locate the child near Saintsville Church on Plank Road after the mother helped them narrow down the location, which is a little bit far from her apartment. The child was eventually spotted from a BRPD helicopter, Monte said.
BRPD spokesman Lt. Don Coppola said the woman is not facing any charges over the incident because of her medical issues.
In a public statement regarding Wednesday’s search, East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome thanked first responders for finding the baby safe.
Thank you to our emergency responders and community members whose quick coordination led to the recovery of the missing infant this morning in Baton Rouge. The Lord guided your efforts today.
