A tragedy turned miracle has rocked the nation this week after a Montana newborn was found buried alive in the forest by authorities.
Thirty-two-year-old Francis Carlton Crowley was supposed to be taking care of the 5-month-old and appeared to be on drugs when he was questioned by officers.
It all started when authorities were alerted about a man making threats and “acting strange” at the Lolo Hot Springs of Montana’s Lolo National Forest around 8 p.m. Saturday night.
“When trying to question Crowley, he appeared to be under the influence of drugs and was not making sense to officers,” said a representative from the sheriff’s office. He added that Crowley “indicated the baby was possibly buried somewhere in the mountains.”
The vague description led a search party on a six-hour search to find the unidentified baby.
“After more than six hours of searching on foot, a deputy heard the faint cry of a baby,” said authorities. “He followed the sound and found the baby alive, face down, buried under a pile of sticks and debris.”
After being uncovered at around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, the baby was reportedly in “good condition” considering it had been buried alive for at least seven hours. It was found in 46-degree weather only wearing a wet onesie.
“For all of us at the sheriff’s office, this is what we call a miracle,” said the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office. “For the officers who were present for this event, it’s especially hard knowing what this small baby endured in the last 24 hours.”
It is unclear who the child’s mother is or what Crowley’s relationship to the child is, but he will be facing criminal endangerment charges, and additional charges are expected.
Authorities have made a referral to child and family services to do further investigation on the whereabouts of the infant’s parents.
Praise God for this hard-working search team who saved this precious little angel from what could have been a horrific outcome.
