It was a scary situation for some Gorham parents when their autistic daughter went missing, but a Game Warden and his K9 provided a happy ending.

It's every parent's nightmare to have their child go missing. And when that child deals with autism, there could be added challenges, like not answering when their name is called. For one Gorham family, this frightening situation became reality when their 11-year-old daughter ran away from her house on Whispering Pines Lane, at around 4 PM Saturday. The family did a quick search and then called 911 for help when they were unable to locate her.

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The Gorham Police Department, Maine Warden Service, and Cumberland County Sheriff's office all responded to organize a search. Warden Michael Latti and his K9 Luna began an air scent search in the woods behind the house at approximately 4:43 PM. It only took Luna about 10 minutes to catch the girl's scent and lead Warden Latti right to her, as she wandered in the woods about a half-mile away from her house. She was in thick woods, and had minor cuts and abrasions, but was otherwise okay. Warden Latti walked the girl back to her house, where she was reunited with her family.

It isn't often, in this business, that we get to report a happy ending to these types of stories. We're glad this is one of those rare cases, and thank everyone involved in the search for such a successful conclusion. Here's hoping Luna got big rubs and hugs from everyone involved for a job well done.

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