After a 2-year-old girl went missing in the woods Friday night in Hew Hampshire, Jeremy Corson and his search and rescue dog Freyja answered the urgent call to try and help find her.
“I was out the door pretty much immediately when I heard ‘2-year-old,’” said Corson, Senior K9 Handler for New England K9 Search and Rescue. “It’s like go go go right out of the gate so I basically pulled over, got the dog, and started running into the woods.”
With the sun setting and temperatures dropping in Dorchester, New Hampshire, Freyja got right to work. The dog sniffed the girl’s sandals to become familiar with her scent, then her training took over.
“Freyja is coming through, searching that area with you and starts displaying that human scent behavior we see over and over again…during trainings and searches which just gets all of our attention. We just started all watching her and she takes control,” said Corson.
He said the girl was excited to be found after four long hours.
“I called out her name and and she jumped up and I could hear her like, ‘yeah I’m here! Hi! Hi dad! She very much though dad was coming to save her in the woods.”
Before bringing the girl back, Corson said she and Freyja shared a sweet moment.
“I gave her a ball and let her throw it for Freyja,” said Corson. “I was all excited, very, very happy. Plus, you want to be warm and happy for the little girl who just had a scary four hours in the woods by herself, she wants that warm welcome.”
Officials believe the girl followed her own dogs out of her yard and into the woods, but thanks to Freyja, she is doing well and was immediately reunited with her parents.
