Baby Survives After Being Partially Buried In Woods For 'At Least Nine Hours'

A tiny baby has survived after being partially buried and left in the woods for at least nine hours, a man has since been arrested and charged in connection with the incident.

The five-month-old baby was found by a Missoula County Sheriff deputy in Montana after she heard a 'faint cry' during a frantic search for little one.

The tot was found face down, buried in a pile of sticks and other debris, wearing just a dirty babygrow despite the cold conditions, CNN reports.

The baby boy had some minor scrapes and bruises but is otherwise unharmed following the ordeal, it's been reported. He has since been placed into Montana Child and Family Services.

Francis Cartlon Crowley, 32, has been charged with criminal endangerment, according to the Missoula County Sheriff's office. They added that Crowley will face 'additional charges' later down the line. He is currently being held on a $50,000 (£37,738) bail.

PA

Cops were first called to the scene after reports of a man threatening people and saying he had a gun. He had left before authorities arrived, but they learnt that Crowley was supposed to be looking after a baby, which had not been seen for 'several hours'.

Crowley later returned to the area where he was apprehended by officers. According to a statement from the police, he appeared to under the influence of drugs and was 'not making sense' when being questioned.

The man told officers the baby was 'possibly buried in the mountains', sparking a search for the infant.

What followed was a six-hour search by a number of government agencies, including the United States Forest Service, Montana Highway Patrol, Bureau of Land Management and the Missoula County Sheriff's office. Thankfully, the baby was found at around 2.30am on Sunday morning.

Brenda Bassett, a spokesperson from the sheriff's office said: "For all of us at the sheriff's office, this is what we call a miracle. For the officers who were present for this event, it's especially hard knowing what this small baby endured in the last 24 hours."

Crowley's relationship with the child has not been revealed.

Source: CNN

Topics: Police, Baby, US News, crime

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19