Missing 2-Year-Old Found Safe After 12-Hour Search in Philadelphia Park

PHILADELPHIA – A two-year-old girl is safe and back with her family after a 12-hour ordeal in a Northeast Philadelphia park. The toddler disappeared following a religious celebration on Sunday evening but was found early Monday morning, cold but unharmed.

The child went missing from Champion Park, located on the 900 block of Tustin Street, around 7:45 p.m. on Sunday. Her family was celebrating the end of Ramadan and Eid at the time. After noticing she was gone, they searched the area but were unable to locate her and subsequently contacted the police.

“They were on the playsets closer to the park and it appeared the child wandered into the park,” said Capt. John Ryan with Northeast Police Detectives. “The family searched. Couldn’t find the child. Then contacted police.”

Authorities responded swiftly, utilizing drones and off-road vehicles in their search efforts. However, initial attempts to find the girl were unsuccessful and they suspended operations as night fell, resuming during the early hours of Monday.

At approximately 8:20 a.m. on Monday morning, a jogger discovered the girl after approaching police officers stationed nearby. Officials confirmed she was found in the same pink dress with white stars and light brown jacket she had been wearing the previous evening.

“She was cold and scared but not physically injured,” Capt. Ryan said. “There’s a lot of off-the-grid walking paths that aren’t the obvious paths people like to use, and she obviously took the right path to find the child.”

The girl was quickly reunited with her mother and transported to a hospital for evaluation, where she was confirmed to be in good health.

The information in this story comes from Philadelphia police.