Volusia County toddler found wandering alone on Mother’s day

Deputies helped reunite the boy with his mother

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office shared body camera footage of a search party after a toddler was found wandering the streets alone on Mother’s Day.

Deputies said an older child was the first to find the boy Sunday afternoon and stayed with him until help arrived.

“Cause I looked up, cause I was just playing basketball, and I’m pretty sure he came this way and he was coming down the street and I started looking around. I was, like, ‘%here’s a random child just standing in the middle of the road.’ And I looked up and no one was around, so he started walking back ... I ran after him,” the older boy said.

By the time deputies arrived, they found a group of people all searching for answers and the little boy’s parents. One woman said her husband had been driving around looking for anybody frantically searching for a child.

Deputies were able to track down the boy’s mother. She was just as shocked and terrified to hear that little boy had gotten out of the house while she was sleeping.

The two were promptly reunited, and a deputy recommended the mother purchase childproof door locks to avoid a repeat escape.

The Sheriff’s Office posted the video to Facebook as a reminder for all parents of toddlers: Make sure you know who’s watching the kids, and make sure your doors are secure.

Deputies said all it takes is a few seconds for something bad to happen.