News

Actions

Oscoda Co. sheriff thanks volunteers who searched for missing girl

Posted at 3:02 PM, Jul 18, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-18 15:02:22-04

MIO, Mich. — The Oscoda County Sheriff thanked the dozens of people who helped or volunteered to assist in the search of a missing 2-year-old girl in Oscoda Township.

In a Facebook post, Sheriff Kevin Grace said over 125 people helped in the first day of the search for 2-year-old Gabriella Vitale, and dozens more were lined up for day two.

Gabriella was found alive and well Tuesday morning when she walked up to a cabin about a half-mile away from the campsite she had wandered away from.

Mike Owens, who was staying at the cabin Gabriella walked up to, was a part of the search party the day before. He said everyone had gone to bed praying she would be found, and woke up Tuesday with her coming to the door.

“Out of the corner of my eye, I saw this little girl walk up to the door … So, I opened the door and she did this and I did this and scooped her up and we got a lot of moms in there,” Owens said. “So, I handed her off to a mom and people just crying and just, I asked one of my team members to call the police.”