Missing 2-Year-Old Boy FOUND Using Thermal Camera in Freezing Michigan Woods

A missing toddler was found alive and safe in the freezing cold Michigan woods on Sunday night.

The unnamed 2-year-old boy had gone missing hours prior from his family’s home. Police used infrared technology to locate his heat signal.

They discovered the child curled up in a ditch in the woods, wearing only a diaper in frigid temperatures.

Here’s the video of the amazing moment the child was found:

Thanks to infrared technology, a 2-year-old boy was found alive and well by state police in Michigan, after he went missing from his home wearing only a diaper. Michigan State Police (MSP) said a helicopter “located a heat signature in a ditch near I-94” in Jackson, and was able… pic.twitter.com/ZzYlq7aOKi

— 48 Hours (@48hours) April 8, 2025

Big sigh of relief in #Michigan —cops used a thermal camera to track down a 2-year-old who’d been missing for over an hour. In just 15 minutes, they spotted the little one in a ditch near an interstate. Talk about a clutch move! Police say the toddler’s got no obvious… pic.twitter.com/DYkjaM5Mal

— Laszlo Varga (@LaszloRealtor) April 7, 2025

The boy was taken to the hospital after he was found. Other than being cold, he was conscious and well.

Thank the Lord.

The New York Post has the full story:

A missing 2-year-old boy wearing nothing but a diaper was discovered curled up in a ditch in the frigid Michigan woods with the help of a police chopper equipped with a heat-seeking camera, dramatic video of the rescue shows.

Michigan State Police helicopters located the boy from the air around 11:30 p.m. Sunday — about three hours after he had gone missing — just feet from busy Interstate 94 in Blackman Township.

The boy was found lying in the fetal position as temperatures hovered just above freezing.

Initially uncertain if the heat signal was the missing child or an animal, officers on the ground were seen in the infrared footage following lioghts being flashed from the chopper directing them to the figure in the darkness.

“We got him,” one of the searchers then said triumphantly.

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CBS News added:

Two officers on the ground were directed to the area, the Michigan State Police said on social media. They found the child in a ditch, curled up and wearing only a diaper. The toddler was “alert and conscious,” but cold, officials said. The troopers can be seen holding and comforting the child while walking him to a waiting ambulance.

The toddler was taken to Henry Ford Jackson Hospital for evaluation and is “in good condition,” the Department of Public Safety said.

McIntosh said that Child Protective Services was made aware of the incident, and a report would be filed with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, which would determine if charges were filed against the parents.

“From what we can tell, this is a one time occurrence or first time occurrence for these individuals,” McIntosh said.

Blackman Township and Leoni Township are both located in Jackson County, Michigan. Overnight temperatures in the county on Saturday were in the low 40s, according to forecasting site Weather Underground. McIntosh said the weather was clear but brisk, with occasional wind making it feel colder.

The Department of Public Safety said the “incident would have undoubtedly ended in tragedy” without the multi-agency search.