The mother of a four-year-old girl who went missing near her home in the RM of La Broquerie said she is grateful to have her back alive and safe.
Elvira Harthi said her daughter Renia is an adventurous four-year-old who loves her dog, Max.
But on Sunday, these two things got the little girl in big trouble. She slipped out of the house, unnoticed by her babysitter, and followed the dog into the woods behind her home.
"It was a nightmare. It's still a little shocking for me,” said Elvira.
A quick search of the nearby woods failed to find any hint of the girl, who managed to slip through two barbed wire fences on her journey.
Steinbach RCMP canine unit member Const. Garfield Henderson his dog, Enzo, were called in around 3 p.m. and found the four-year-old girl one kilometre from her home.
"I cast my Dog into that area, and quickly located a track. And within 15 minutes, we located the girl crying in the middle of the bush,” said Henderson.
Renia was a little wet and scared, but otherwise OK.
“Enzo came right up to her, and she gave him a big pet on the head,” said Henderson. “Then she jumped into my arms, locked onto my neck, and we walked out of the bush.”
The girl was examined by paramedics as a precaution.
She was missing for about 45 minutes.
Steinbach RCMP credit Const. Garfield Henderson and Enzo for their “very fast and successful conclusion” to a high-risk situation for a child.
- With files from Jon Hendricks
