A heartwarming rescue took place at the Greenbank Military Base, near the Springfield Lakes-Greenbank Arterial Road, when a toddler was found wandering through the closed military base by a vigilant member of the public.
The three-year-old girl, covered in mud and bites, was spotted along the fence line of the training area, freezing and chewing on rocks. Thanks to the quick actions of two good Samaritans, the toddler has been safely reunited with her mother.
Kylie Hey, a resident of the Spring Mountain Estate, was on her way to work when she noticed the child inside the fenced area. Concerned for the toddler’s well-being, she wasted no time and reached through the fence to grab the girl’s hand. Ms Hey immediately called the police, despite the child’s distressed state, with screams overpowering the conversation.
Meanwhile, Sarah Ransley was driving her children to school when she noticed Ms Hey and initially assumed it was a parent attending to their child’s needs. However, her children alerted her to the fact that the child was behind the fence, prompting her to turn around and offer assistance.
Ms Ransley held the girl’s hand, trying to keep her calm, whilst Ms Hey spoke with the police. Several other people passing by also stopped to lend a hand, bringing ladders to aid in the rescue efforts.
Once the girl was safely rescued from behind the fence, her soaked clothes were removed, revealing ant bites all over her body. Concerned for her well-being, the residents wrapped her in a towel and brought her into Ms Ransley’s heated car. There, the girl found comfort in the warmth and even ate some food from Ms Ransley’s children’s lunch boxes.
According to Ms Hey, the company responsible for security on the fence line at the Greenbank Military Base suspected that the girl may have crawled through one of the wildlife holes in the fence, setting off on her unexpected adventure. The nearest homes were believed to be several kilometres away, separated by multiple creeks.
Emergency services arrived at the scene and assessed the girl for injuries. Fortunately, she was found to have no significant injuries and was later transported to Ipswich Hospital as a precautionary measure. The police, in the meantime, launched a door-to-door search in the surrounding area to locate the girl’s parents, but their efforts were initially in vain.
As news of the incident spread, social media platforms were inundated with messages of support and appeals for assistance in finding the child’s parents. The community rallied together to aid the police in their search. Eventually, a mother reported waking up late in the morning and discovering her toddler missing. After verifying the information, she was identified as the parent of the toddler.
The heartwarming reunion between the mother and child took place, bringing relief to all involved. The police confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident, attributing the toddler’s adventure to a case of curiosity and wanderlust.
Authorities from West Moreton Health, when contacted for comment, declined to provide any specific details about the child’s condition.
Published 22-May-2023