A 2-year-old girl disappeared from a Philadelphia park on Sunday, only to be discovered by a jogger the next morning, authorities said, as reported by multiple news outlets. The Philadelphia Police Department said the child went missing around 7:45 p.m. at a place called Champion Park.
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She wore a pink dress with white stars and a brown jacket when she vanished. Police posted on Facebook Monday morning that the toddler "had been located" and was safe.
The girl strayed from her family during an Eid and Ramadan celebration, police told Fox 29. Northeast Police Detectives Capt. John Ryan said the family was near the park's playsets when the child wandered off. Relatives searched for her before calling the police.
Authorities used drones and dirt bikes but failed to find her Sunday night, Fox 29 reported. Officers stayed near the park overnight, according to NBC10.
Discovery Details
A woman jogging in Champion Park found the toddler around 8:20 a.m. Monday. Medics checked the child, who then reunited with her mother, NBC10 reported. Philadelphia Police Inspector Deshawn Beaufort said she appeared "in good health" with only minor scrapes and scratches. The girl stood in brush, still in her original clothes, police told NBC10 and Fox 29.
"She's very alert, very awake," Beaufort told NBC10. He said she likely spent the night in the park but showed no major distress beyond slight shock.
Jogger's Role
The jogger's route made the difference. "There are off-the-grid paths people don't usually take," Capt. Ryan told Fox 29. "She picked the right one."
The toddler went to St. Christopher's Children's Hospital for further evaluation, ABC6 reported. Her safe recovery ended an overnight search, easing concerns for her family and local officials.
As for the jogger, Ryan told Fox 29 that she happened to be in the right place at the right time. "There's a lot of off-the-grid walking paths that aren't the obvious paths people like to use and she obviously took the right path to find the child," the police captain said.
