A missing Virginia toddler was found alive Friday after an overnight search that drew federal and state agencies into dense woodland east of Charlottesville.
Bridget Maeve Zeigler, 2, walked away from her home on Hidden Valley Road in Cumberland County shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday and spent roughly 18 hours alone before rescuers located her Friday afternoon, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook. The property sits near state forest land, and the surrounding residential area quickly gave way to heavy woods that complicated the search.
She was wearing an orange dress, a blue coat, and white sneakers when she disappeared, according to the Virginia State Police. Authorities described her as a white female about two feet tall and thirty pounds, with short brown hair and blue eyes.
Police learned of her disappearance within an hour and issued a CODI alert by Thursday evening to notify the public, the Sheriff’s Office stated in its Facebook announcement. The alert system is designed specifically for missing or endangered children.
The Sheriff’s Office also urged hunters in the area to check their trail cameras for any sign of the toddler, hoping private surveillance might reveal which direction she had traveled into the forested terrain.
By Friday afternoon, the all-out effort succeeded. The Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook that Bridget had been found, though it did not immediately disclose the exact location or circumstances of her discovery.
The search operation had grown to include aviation and K9 resources, according to the same Facebook post. The Federal Bureau of Investigation joined the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Virginia State Police, and additional law enforcement and fire and rescue agencies in the effort.
Authorities have not released details about Bridget’s condition following her night alone or whether she required medical evaluation. The circumstances of how she wandered from home also remain undisclosed.