Just Another Summer Day
It all began on an ordinary summer day in the suburbs of Tawas City, Michigan. The weather was warm, so Brooklyn Lynn Lilly, who was two years old at the time, spent all day playing in her front yard. Meanwhile, her babysitter watched her from the porch.
After all, what could go wrong if she played on her own for a while?
The Girl Was Gone
At one point, Brooklyn's nanny quickly went to the bathroom, but when she headed back, she realized that the toddler had wandered off.
She guessed she ran out through the backyard, so she stormed through the house and nearly tore open the back door.
Not A Clue
However, to the woman's dismay, Brooklyn was nowhere to be seen. She searched through the entire house, but there was no trace of her.
It was only half an hour later that it finally dawned on her that little Brooklyn wasn't just playing hide and seek, but had indeed gone missing.
They Feared The Worst
Brooklyn's nanny was in shock and didn't even know where to start. Should she call the girl's parents? Should she dial 911? Or what if she had run off into the woods?
She was only a 2-year-old, how far could she have gone? But what if she had been kidnapped? By that time, she feared the worst.
Calling The Police
The babysitter chose to play it safe and called the police. A group of officers showed up in a matter of minutes and while one of them looked all around the house, the others looked in the forest near the backyard.
However, there was still no sign of her, so they realized they would need to carry out a much larger search.
The Town Was Shook
Word spread around the neighborhood that the little girl had gone missing, so in no time, a group of volunteers drove to Brooklyn's house to help find her. Believe it or not, even a few strangers showed up and gave the family a hand!
> "I have no idea who the family is. I just want to help find Brooklyn and get her back safe", resident Chantell Vanschalkwyc said.
Massive Search
But it wasn't only the neighbors who were looking for her. The local police, the firemen, as well as a group of state troopers also played their part in the operation.
In no time, helicopters were scrutinizing the area and the whole town was going to great lengths in order to track down poor baby Brooklyn.
A Hazardous Storm
However, luck was not on their side, as their efforts were hampered when a fierce storm struck the town.
It wasn't safe to be bolting across the forest during an electric storm, so they had no choice but to carry on their search the following morning. But what if the girl was in the forest? Would she make it?
A Day Had Gone By
Luckily, the storm had passed the next day. But even though the sky was cleared, there was no motive to celebrate, as it had already been 24 hours since Brooklyn had gone missing.
The police called in some K9 units to see if they could track down Brooklyn's scent.
Jax, The Police Dog
Brooklyn's family was starting to lose all hope, but Jeffery Seyfried, the assistant chief of the city's Fire Department, wasn't willing to give up so easily.
With the help of officer Denis McGuckin and his police dog Jax, they teamed up and set forth for the forest, hoping to find any trace of the toddler.
Getting Nearer
At this point, it was perfectly clear that the kid wasn't nowhere near her home, which meant that they needed to put forth a larger-scale search operation.
Seyfried, McGuckin and his furry pal Jax were walking past a nearby wooded area, when suddenly, the dog started barking. What was he so fussed about? Was there a creature hiding beneath the bushes?
Something Caught His Attention
As we all know, a dog barking is no biggie; after all, they bark every time they hear any sort of noise. In fact, it could've easily been the sound of an insect crawling along a branch.
But when Seyfried and McGuckin worked their way past the bushes to see what was there, their hearts nearly stopped beating.
There She Was
Believe it or not, behind the thick bushes and right beneath a giant tree, there was a small figure of a toddler, fast asleep and wrapped in a thick coat.
They weren't sure whether it was Brooklyn at first, but who else could it be? After all, it clearly matched her size and her age!
She Stood Still
However, as the two cops approached her, the toddler didn't stir. McGuckin and Seyfried stared at each other: they knew that the same thought had just crossed their minds, but neither of them dared speak it out loud.
However, they gained courage and grabbed her by the shoulder while calling out her name.
Silver Lining
For a moment there, the officers' hearts stopped, as the toddler wouldn't wake up. But just a few seconds later, the child twitched and peeked her head from under the coat. And guess what?
It was Brooklyn! The cops' faces beamed with joy and they simply lay down by her side.
She Was OK
Not ony had they found Brooklyn, but they realized that she was OK. She had a few cuts and bruises here and there, but that's the least they expected, considering she had spent a whole night out in the wild in the middle of a thunderstorm.
Now, it was time to head back home and give her family the news they were so much expecting.
He Grabbed For His Camera
And crazily enough, the toddler seemed to be quite in the mood! Far from looking frightened, she started giggling and claimed that she had loved to spend a night out in the woods.
Nothing compared to the wide simle on her face, so Seyfried couldn't help but reach out for his phone and take a picture of her!
Beaming Smile
Had they not taken that photo, no-one would've believed that the child had felt so relaxed instead of terrified the moment she was found. As you can imagine, the picture quickly went viral.
> “No one had to say cheese. That is a happy smile. This picture is perfect. What an absolutely beautiful little girl,” said one of the users.
Happy Ending
Brooklyn's parents will never forget the moment they reunited. As to the brave officers and the hero dog, they look back on the whole event with a feeling of deep satisfaction.
> “It was a rough night, but the moment that she was found was something special. You just never know what could happen to someone that young. I’m glad that she was safe and unharmed", Seyfried said.
A Lucky Girl
Luckily for Brooklyn, the forest she had wandered into were quite near her house, making her recovery much faster than what everyone expected.
Despite all she went through, it's safe to say she's a very lucky girl.