Game Warden Locates Missing 2-year-old in Northern Maine Woods

Maine Game Wardens safely located a missing two-year old girl who had wandered away from her family’s campsite in the northern Maine woods early Thursday.  

Blaklyn Greenleaf was last seen sleeping in her family’s camper at the Jo Mary Lake Campground in Piscataquis County at 2:00 a.m., according to Warden Service spokesman Mark Latti. When her family woke up around 7:00 a.m., Blake was missing and the camper door was open.

After a quick initial search, her parents immediately called 911.  Game Wardens, Penobscot County Sheriff Deputies, Maine Forest Rangers, Maine State Police and Maine Marine Patrol officers all converged at the campground to search for the toddler, Latti said. The Maine Warden Service also had two planes searching the area, along with a Maine Forest Service helicopter and a drone from the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office.

Game Wardens directed a “Hasty Search” of the area, which is an intense ground search of the immediate area with multiple people, Latti said.

Little girl told parents she was "taking a nap in the woods"

Game Warden Tyler Leach was searching through one of the camp parking areas where there were some boat trailers and ice shacks stored. At approximately 10:45 a.m., he looked over the stone wall that bordered the lot, and saw Blake with her blanket, dressed in flowered pajamas sitting on top of a brush pile among the trees.

Leach was able to talk to and comfort the girl, who then reached out her arms to him, and let him pick her up. He then raced back to the campground carrying Blake, and was met by her parents running towards them, Latti said.

The child did not require any medical attention after spending several hours on her own in the woods. Blaklyn had just turned two in June. Her parents expressed their gratitude to all those who helped to return their daughter to them safely.

The Maine Warden Service had 24 officers searching the forested area for nearly four hours Thursday morning. They were part of a larger group of close to 40 people that included members of the Maine Forest Service, Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, Maine State Police and Maine Marine Patrol. The effort incorporated ground searchers, K9 units, dive team members, fixed wing aircraft, a helicopter and a drone, as well as volunteers.