The Command Centre at Ferguson Hill in Elkwater. (Photo Courtesy Teagan Rasche)

By Brian Konrad, Regan Tate, Chris Brown and Teagan Rasche

Went missing Wednesday evening

Missing girl found safe in Elkwater

Aug 19, 2021 | 7:49 AM

ELKWATER, AB — An overnight search for a missing six-year-old girl in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park has a happy ending.

The girl was found after a search involving RCMP from Redcliff and Bow Island, RCMP Police Dog Services, Alberta Fish and Wildlife, Alberta Sheriffs and South Eastern Alberta Search and Rescue Association.

They began looking for the girl after she was reported missing last evening from the Lodgepole Campground at Elkwater.

“The child was camping with her family and playing in a nearby field,” Cpl. Tammy Keibel with the RCMP, said. “She was walked partway back to the campground with a family member and did not return to the campground.”

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This morning, there was additional help from Calgary Search and Rescue, Cypress County Fire and Bylaw as well as HALO. Dozens of volunteers also came out to help.

Just minutes before 10 a.m., it was announced the little girl had been found.

“She had been located approximately 1.5 kilometres south of the campground and about 100 metres west,” Keibel said. “She was located by a South Eastern Alberta Search and Rescue member with his team of volunteers.”

The little girl spent the night in the forest in chilly temperatures. RCMP reported she smiled when volunteers found her.

“Her activities over the night were basically walking a bit, sleeping a bit, and when it became daylight, she actually hunkered down where she was located which was great,” Keibel said.

HALO CEO Paul Carolan looked for the little girl from the sky. He says it was a very fortunate outcome.

“There was a lot of resources on scene,” Carolan said. “The helicopter is fast and big and loud and often gets a lot of attention, but the truth is this was a multi-jurisdictional, multi-agency effort and that’s the reason I think it was successful.”

Once it was announced she was found, there was a sense of relief across the campground. Volunteers were hugging and some even crying knowing everything was okay.

Earlier story below…

ELKWATER, AB — HALO was dispatched this morning to a scene call in Elkwater to assist search and rescue operations.

Details are not known, but social media reports overnight indicated a six-year-old girl had gone missing while hiking with other family members.

Cypress County fire, RCMP and South Eastern Alberta Search and Rescue Association are actively involved in the search, which is focused on the Ferguson Hill area and the Lodgepole Campground.

We will have more information as it becomes available.