4-Month-Old Baby Found Alive After a Distraught Mother Abandoned Him by a Michigan Creek

(Courtesy of Oakland County Sheriff's Office)

After being abandoned by his mother, a 4-month-old baby boy was discovered by Michigan deputies in wet clothes, lying face-down in a wooded area on the banks of a creek. He was alone, but alive.

When two 911 calls from Pontiac prompted an encounter with a distressed mother without her infant on the morning of April 7, deputies from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to scour the area. They discovered the infant on the wooded banks of an Orion Township creek. “The baby was in a hypothermic state when he was found in an area near Waldon and Joslyn roads,” according to a press release by the police department.

Oakland County Supervisor Chris Barnett told The Epoch Times via email that the baby, named Carter, has recovered and “will thankfully have no long-term issues as a result of the incident.”

(Courtesy of Oakland County Sheriff's Office)

The two 911 calls from Pontiac residents spoke about a lone woman in distress. Claiming she was being pursued by an armed antagonist, the woman was cowering in the bushes and ringing doorbells.

Staff from Waldon Middle School also reported a “frantic woman” pounding on locked doors.

Deputies arrived and eventually located the 37-year-old. Calming her and asking questions, they ascertained she had a baby. Burrs on the woman’s pants indicated that she may have been into the woods.

Thirteen patrol cars, a drone, an aviation unit, and a K-9 unit were dispatched to the area. Deputies plotted a 1-mile search grid encapsulating the distressed woman’s home, Waldon Middle School, and the homes of the Pontiac neighbors who had dialed 911.

The wooded creek where the baby was found. (Courtesy of Supervisor Chris Barnett)

It took the team just 30 minutes to find baby Carter, yet it remains unclear for how long he was actually left alone.

Deputies removed the baby’s wet clothes, wrapping him in blankets before medics escorted him to nearby St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. The entire team’s quick actions “avoided what could have been an unspeakable tragedy,” wrote Sheriff Michael Bouchard on a Facebook post.

Deputies suspected that prescription drug abuse played a part in the baby’s abandonment. A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office informed People that the mother, who remains anonymous, was taken to a mental health facility for a 72-hour commitment.

Prosecutors are reviewing the case and potential child abuse charges. The sheriff’s office told The Epoch Times that Carter has been placed in the safe custody of relatives until further court action is taken.

Sergeant Z pictured after he handed the baby to fire personnel. (Courtesy of Supervisor Chris Barnett)

In a Facebook post, Barnett claimed he was feeling “truly blessed” to be served by such “amazing, attentive, and caring” first responders.

“Deputies from Oakland County Sheriff’s Office worked quickly and methodically,” the supervisor praised. “Neighbors gave great and helpful information. Township staff sprung into action printing maps and heading to the search area to assist deputies. Fire and EMS personnel responded in record time.”

Baby Carter’s recovery, he claimed, was nothing short of a miracle.

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