Missing child found unharmed on family's property in Sterling after multi-agency search

A missing child was found unharmed on the family's property in Sterling on Monday evening and was reunited with their parents, Alaska State Troopers said.

Troopers received a report of the missing child at 5:55 pm Oct. 26, according to the troopers' daily dispatch. The first report said the child had been missing since about 4:30 pm.

Troopers and Central Emergency Services began searching. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also sent a thermal-capable drone to help.

The child was found on the family's property at about 7:25 pm, an hour and a half after troopers got the call. Troopers did not release the child's age.

Troopers have searched for other missing children this year. In June, a missing 11-year-old in Fairbanks was found safe and uninjured after about an hour of searching by troopers and several other agencies, with help from a helicopter and drones, according to a trooper dispatch. In September, troopers found an 11-year-old Wasilla boy safe hours after he went missing on his bicycle, Alaska News reported Sept. 4.

Alaska State Troopers lead search and rescue operations across the state, working with the Alaska National Guard and other agencies, according to the department's search and rescue page. The page tells anyone who believes a person is missing to call 911 immediately if there is an emergency or immediate concern for safety. If it is not an emergency, people should contact the nearest Alaska State Troopers post.