Last week, on June 14, a Qulin, Missouri mother got the scare of her life when she realized her 3-year-old daughter was missing. The toddler, adorable Remy Merritt, disappeared from her rural home at approximately 8:30 PM this past Thursday.
Upon realizing the girl’s absence, Remy’s mother searched herself— but after seeing no sign of the toddler, she immediately contacted police.
“I looked for her by myself thinking maybe she was just in the woods or somewhere where I just couldn’t see her,” Timber, Remy’s mother told PEOPLE.
“And I was just calling for her and calling for here, and when she wasn’t calling back I realized ‘I don’t think I’m going to find her on my own.'”
When word spread around about Remy’s disappearance, the entire community joined the search. Law enforcement and volunteers gathered near Remy’s home, hoping she would be found safe on the property’s giant cornfield.
Helicopters with infrared imaging circled the family home while volunteers searched the area. “It went from five people to about 75 to 100 people out here by the time we were done,” Timber said.
In an interview with ABC News, Clark Parrot, a sergeant with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, explained: “Everybody knows everybody here and so when they hear of one of their neighbors in trouble, whether you know them or not— you just stop what you’re doing and show up.”
The group searched all night for little Remy, but they couldn’t find her.
“It was stressful and emotional,” a family friend told ABC News.
“We were all just walking back and forth from one end to the other just yelling her name.”
“All the flashlights started dying and the sheriff’s office decided to call it for the night.”
At dawn the next morning, search efforts were back underway. The giant cornfield around Remy’s house was drawn out with a grid to help find the little girl.
A large amount of corn was interfering with their abilities to find Remy. “You don’t hear well in the corn,” a volunteer explained. “When somebody is yelling your name, you can hear them, but you don’t know where it’s coming.”
Luckily, after another three hours of searching, Remy was ultimately found safe. But, to everyone’s surprise, she was not alone…
It turned out that Fat Heath, the family’s pet terrier, had accompanied Remy on her late-night cornfield adventure and stuck by her side the entire time.
When Fat Heath heard the bark of a searcher’s dog, he responded with one of his own. Had he not alerted the rescuers, it’s hard to say whether Remy would have been found.
“The dogs yapping at each other is a neat little moment,” Parrot said.
Although Remy and Fat Heath spent the night outside, they didn’t suffer any serious injuries.
Both the toddler and the dog were brought to the Black River Medical Center in Poplar Bluff where they were examined. “She was definitely exhausted, hot, really sweety, and it took a while to drink anything,” Timber’s mother said. ”
A lot of bites and a little thirsty, but she got a clean bill of health and was returned back to her home afterward,” Parrot confirmed.
All’s well that ends well with Remy’s disappearance. In the end, the toddler was found safe and sound— with her loyal canine beside her.
“She said she wasn’t scared because Fat Heath was there. If he wasn’t, I think she would’ve been terrified.”
Hear the story below!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
