ST. ALBANS, Maine — A 5-year-old girl who went missing from her home on Monday morning was found a few hours later by Maine State Police and the Maine Warden Service.
Morgan Lawler was playing outside with a family puppy at her home on Bubar Road and was reported missing at about 9:30 a.m. Monday.
“Mom went inside to do something with the laundry and, 15 minutes later, she went to check on her daughter and she was gone,” said Trooper Sgt. Jeff Beech.
Beech said several warden units, two warden aircraft and state police with a K-9 unit responded.
Beech said the 5-year-old traveled quite far through thick woods.
“It was a pretty good distance from the house,” said Beech, who estimated she traveled about 2½ miles in all. She was located about six-tenths of a mile south of the house in the woods.
“Maybe a little more,” he said, adding that Lawler walked through marshy areas, snow and soft ice.
“She went through it all,” he said. “Occasionally we’d pick up a footprint in the snow, but lose it again because there wasn’t much snow. She never stopped moving.”
She was picked up around 1 p.m.
“It ended very well. She had no injuries,” Beech said. “She had some red feet, mostly from walking through snow, water and ice. Her feet were wet and definitely cold.”
Beech said the girl was upset when they found her, but calmed down quickly.
“She was happy to be home,” he said.
Lawler was checked by Sebasticook Valley Ambulance, said Cpl. John MacDonald of the Maine Warden Service in a statement.
Beech said many family members were at the residence awaiting Lawler’s return. The family dog returned to the home on its own, MacDonald said.
Wardens Jared Herrick and Kim Bates along with Troopers Matt Casavant, Sam Tulmac and Beech recovered Lawler.
“We’re just glad we got her,” Beech said.
I’m glad to read this little girl was found safe. It has to be a mom’s worst nightmare to realize her child is missing.
So wonderful that this turned out as it did. It’s good to read good news. These little ones are not to be underestimated in regards to will, endurance, and physical strength. I recently witnessed a youngster of about the same age open up a heavy insulated glass sliding door like it was nothing at all.
Why would you ever leave a 5 year old outside by themselves??? Maybe I’m wrong but it seems a little young to me. Thank God that everything turned out all right. Glad to hear the little girl is alright.
Not really….It’s not like she left her alone while she went shopping. When I was 5 years old, I was playing with neighbors down the street, not just in my yard. My own 5 year old plays in the yard frequently while I am in ear-shot and check on her periodically. 5 year olds can usually understand that they should stay within a boundary, like a yard, and once in a great while they wonder off with their curiosity. Do you actually have school aged children?
I have a five year old daughter, and I do not leave her outside by herself for more than a couple of minutes. No longer than it would take for me to go to the bathroom. She knows she has to stay in the yard, nor does she wander off…but that’s not a chance I’m willing to take. Perhaps a little over protective, but the world is most certainly not the place it was when I was growing up in the late 70’s /early 80’s at her age.
Even a 5-year old that knows to stay in the yard might run off after a family dog who leaves the yard, simply because she knows that she’s supposed to keep the puppy in the yard with her.
And you never know what might happen in just those couple minutes that you’ve gone inside to use the bathroom either.
yes I actually have 3 kids. They aren’t that young anymore but I never left them outside by themselves at 5 years old. It only takes a second for a child to walk off and it only takes a second for someone to pick them up. So I don’t believe I’m wrong here.
A 5 yr old left alone for 15 minutes?? OMG… Im glad she was found.
Guess I am strange,but a 5 year old should be able to play in her own yard.A 5 year old should know to stay in the yard also……
I would guess her wandering off had something to do with chasing the puppy she was playing with.
I read that a long time ago on WABI sometime this morning that she was missing. Glad she was found safe and sound!!!!
I work with children ages 2-5—the majority of 4 and 5 year olds should be able to play outside of their home without constant supervision–of course if you lived in the city that would be different.
Yeah. This is St. Albans… *crickets*
Some super intelligent person in Augusta will introduce a new bill in the legislature to prohibit walking more than 10 meters away from a 5 year old.
Bill, I agree. I always cringe when I read these stories because of the “told you so” super neurotic, 20-20 hindsight, “I’m super parent” types who profess that every parent should be hovering over their child every second of the day, never allowing them to be out of their sight, be hurt, be dirty, or exhibit any childish behavior until they are 18.
God forbid a parent have to cook a meal, do laundry, sleep, vacuum a floor, clean a baby’s nappie, or go to the bathroom. They are “supposed” to only be that child’s nanny and keep an eagle eye on their charge so they don’t go in the woods, fall down a well, put the car in reverse, go for a walk to work off their anger over an argument on the bus, fall out the window during naptime, or walk to the grocery store at 3am in the snow. These are just the stories from the BDN that I can recall in the past year where busy-bodies who just assign blame to others and have likely NEVER offered a frazzled parent any assistance, write nasty stuff after these events happen in the comments. If you don’t know the details, if you aren’t volunteering in your community helping with kids then MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS and keep your yap shut!
I agree with you, Katherine. Our society expects parents to be with our children 24/7, but yet we don’t make it possible for mothers (or fathers) to stay home with their children….