Friend Finds Toddler Missing for 15 Hours Just Minutes After Arriving on the Scene To Help

A family in Oklahoma is celebrating after their toddler son was found safe by a family friend following a 15-hour ordeal alone outdoors. Three-year-old Walker Magnus was discovered unharmed after wandering overnight in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, according to reports from ABC affiliate KOCO News.

Walker went missing on the evening of May 2 during a routine trip with his father. “He was with his father, they came up here to feed the animals, and he was outside playing. You know, just a split second not looking, and he just disappeared,” said Travis Dinwiddie, Undersheriff for the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), in an interview with KFOR.

The disappearance prompted an extensive search operation involving nearly 100 first responders and volunteers, led by Chad Larman, Director of Pottawatomie County Emergency Management. The searchers combed the area throughout the night, hoping to locate the missing toddler.

Justin Black, a family friend, joined the search at the request of Walker’s uncle. He had previous experience with search and rescue and decided to focus on specific areas where the boy might have wandered. “We got a thousand people here that are all scanning out, so I said, ‘Well, with the water and rain, I’m just going to search on the outside and start looking for tracks,'” Black told KOCO.

Black’s instincts led him to search drainage areas. “I went down. I started looking for drainages,” he said. His strategy paid off as he discovered Walker less than a mile from home, sheltered under a tree. The boy was “cheery as could be” when found, Black told KOCO. “He just kind of started reaching out towards me and walked to the road, and someone was driving by the road on a side-by-side and picked us up.”

Walker was quickly reunited with his parents, who held him tightly in an emotional reunion on the morning of May 3. Black also shared a poignant moment with Walker’s grandmother, who expressed her gratitude. “Grandma comes over and gives me a hug and starts getting me teared up,” he recalled.

Authorities confirmed to KFOR that Walker was taken to the emergency room as a precaution but was in good health. The successful search and rescue effort brought relief to the entire community and showcased the dedication of the volunteers and first responders involved.

Dinwiddie expressed his gratitude for the community’s support during the search. “It’s a small community. Everybody knows each other, and they all come out to help,” he said.

The incident underscores the importance of community involvement and the value of local knowledge in search and rescue operations. Thanks to the swift response of volunteers like Black and the coordinated efforts of first responders, Walker Magnus was found safe and sound, bringing a happy ending to a family’s night of worry.