Before being located this evening, Oaklynn Schweder was last seen Sept. 19 at around 6 p.m.
The search for 6-year-old Oaklynn Schweder, who was reported missing on Sept. 19, from her residence in Southbank, near Burns Lake, has come to a happy conclusion.
Oaklynn was found Sept. 22, just after 6:00 p.m., based on an RCMP statement.
“She was found in a forested area previously searched between her residence and the band office, leaving searchers to believe she was likely moving around during the time she was missing,” the police said in a statement.
Based on initial reports from SAR members, the child has no visible injuries and is in satisfactory condition. She will be taken to the Burns Lake hospital for further medical evaluation.
“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,” Burns Lake RCMP Detachment Commander, S/Sgt. Joshua Smith said.
In a live video update on Facebook (now Meta) , mother Gail Skin and father James Schweder, provided a peek at Oaklynn resting in the ambulance and thanked community members for their support.
“…My baby was found and brought back to me and her daddy,” Skin said.
Oaklynn was found by one of the volunteer Search and Rescue (SAR) teams. More than 600 volunteers had joined the police and SAR teams to search for Oaklynn who was last seen Thursday evening (Sept. 19) leaving her home in Southside around 6 p.m.
After her family realized she was missing on Friday evening, they along with community members immediately responded by searching for Oaklynn before alerting authorities.
RCMP and the local SAR team was activated quickly with canine units deployed to areas with minimal human contamination to track Oaklynn’s scent.
The Burns Lake SAR continued their efforts until 4 a.m. on Sept.20, said search manager Chris Mushumanski in a Facebook video update Saturday.
On Friday morning (Sept. 20), the search expanded significantly, involving multiple search and rescue groups from across northern British Columbia, including teams from Kitimat, Terrace, Smithers, Houston, Vanderhoof, Fort St. James, McKenzie, and Prince George.
Wildfire service members will be joining the search operation and offered two helicopters and drone support. Additional personnel from search and rescue teams are being deployed from as far as Kamloops to support ongoing efforts.
RCMP drones equipped with heat-sensing technology were also utilized to assist in locating Oaklynn, Mushumanski said.
The search strategy was guided by a detailed plan based on statistical analysis of missing persons data. High-probability areas were identified within concentric rings from Oaklynn’s last known location, with search teams extending their efforts along roads up to 300 metres on either side.
Given Oaklynn’s autism, searchers were briefed on her potential behaviours, such as hiding in unusual places or climbing trees. Teams conducted thorough checks, looking under objects and examining tree canopies.
On Saturday, more volunteers joined the efforts and search teams were dispatched to cover wider areas.
MORE TO COME….
This article was originally published by a www.thefreepress.ca . Read the Original article here. .