By Lauren Liebhaber
Merced Sun-Star
ALTO TOWNSHIP, Wis. 鈥� A missing toddler was found in the middle of a 100-acre cornfield 鈥� an area roughly equivalent to 100 football fields 鈥� thanks to the use of a thermal imaging drone, Wisconsin authorities said.
Deputies responded shortly before 9 p.m. Aug. 25 to reports of a lost 3-year-old boy from Alto Township who had been missing for an hour and a half, according to an Aug. 30 news release from the Fond du Lac County Sheriff鈥檚 Office.
After confirming the toddler was not inside the barns or any other buildings on the farm, the sheriff鈥檚 office requested the services of a drone operator from the City of Fond du Lac Police Department to scan the fields, authorities said.
At around 9:30 p.m., the drone, equipped with thermal cameras, 鈥渓ocated a heat spot in the middle of the cornfield,鈥� the sheriff鈥檚 office said.
Authorities located and carried the uninjured child out and reunited him with his parents, deputies said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e right here, buddy,鈥� first responders can be heard telling the boy in body camera footage shared by WISN. 鈥漎ou鈥檙e safe now,鈥� they said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to go back and we鈥檙e going to find your mom, okay?鈥�
He was found half a mile from his home, according to authorities.
鈥淗e said he鈥檇 been chasing a cat into the cornfield,鈥� Lt. Alex Volm of the Fond du Lac County Sheriff鈥檚 Office told WISN.
鈥淎 harmless thing, you know, but it could have turned out really bad had we not had the opportunity to use our tools and collaborate with our law enforcement partners,鈥� Volm told the outlet.
Alto is about an 80-mile drive northwest from Milwaukee .
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