Ruby Heider was camping in Poinsett State Park in South Carolina with her parents when the three-year-old wandered off looking for the bathroom at around 7pm and never returned. Rhonda Mason, Ruby’s mom, started looking for her and asking other campers if they’d seen her and soon every camper in the campground joined in the search.
The Sumter County Sheriff soon got in on the search too and enlisted the help of multiple local, state and federal agencies including the FBI and the Air Force. They searched through the night and into the next morning. “We brought in our imaging systems, our aviation unit, our drones,” says Sheriff Anthony Dennis. “We got the State Law Enforcement Division assistance with our aviation as well.”
More than 150 volunteers were out all night looking for Ruby and she was finally located about a mile away at 11 in the morning. She was cold, dehydrated, hungry, scared but thrilled to be reunited with her grateful parents. The Sheriff's office announced that Ruby had been found safe on social media. Sheriff Dennis thanks the many citizens who helped in many ways but also for the prayers for Ruby's safe return. He is thankful to acknowledge that those prayers were answered this morning.