Drone video shows boy’s rescue after 12-hour search in Tippecanoe County

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. – It took a major effort from dozens of fire and police departments to find a missing child in Tippecanoe County.

Eventually, a drone located the boy. Authorities released video from this week’s search.

Around 9:40 p.m. on Sunday, the Tippecanoe Township Volunteer Fire Department (TTVFD) was notified of a missing 10-year-old boy who was last seen running into a cornfield. Rescuers feared the boy, described as hearing impaired and autistic, would run away if approached.

TTVFD personnel and Tippecanoe County sheriff’s deputies conducted the initial search. Other agencies soon joined the effort, with personnel establishing a Unified Command. As the search expanded, officials requested additional aid from area agencies, including those from other counties.

K9 units soon joined the effort, and drones equipped with thermal imaging provided aerial support as first responders conducted grid-pattern searches of the area, which included 0.5 square miles of perimeter and 0.75 miles of interstate.

Officials established a command center on County Road W 725 N and a staging area at TTVFD Station 2 on W 650 N. Officials estimated that 300 responders were involved in the search.

After nearly 12 hours, a drone operator with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office located the missing 10-year-old on the east side of the cornfield near Interstate 65. Nearby personnel found the boy, made contact and reunited him with his mother via UTV. He was “uninjured, happy and full of energy,” according to authorities.

The search covered more than 200 acres of woods, cornfield and property and more than a mile of Burnetts Creek. Officials estimated aerial units covered more than 1.5 square miles.

Area residents supported the effort by offering to help and providing food and drinks to first responders.

“Tippecanoe Township Volunteer Fire Department extends its sincere gratitude to all agencies, volunteers, and community members who contributed to this successful search and rescue mission,” the department said in a news release. “The teamwork, coordination, and persistence of all involved ensured a safe and positive outcome.”

The department noted assistance from multiple agencies, including those from outside counties like Boone, Hamilton, Johnson, Marion, Porter and others. More than 50 different local, county and state entities provided resources.