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4-year-old Franklin Orwig III, who went missing near his residence in unincorporated Cocoa on February 10, 2023, has been found unharmed by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office aviation unit.
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office reported on Friday that Franklin "Frankie" Orwig III disappeared from outside his home on Burgess Avenue at about 8.52 am on Friday.
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office put its Child Abduction Response Team to work and launched an extensive search. It was reported that Franklin was missing for about four hours before he was located in the woods near his house.
Franklin Orwig III went missing after his dad fell asleep
According to a report by FOX35 Orlando, Franklin Orwig’s father, Frank, said on the morning of his son's disappearance that he fell asleep while the toddler was playing on an iPad. When he awoke, Franklin was gone.
He said:
"I wasn’t even asleep 35 minutes or so. Then I get up, I look for him, he wasn’t in the house, and I’m freaking out."
A missing person's post by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office described Franklin as 3'00" tall and weighing about 40 pounds. They mentioned that he has strawberry blonde hair with hazel eyes and was last seen wearing black pajamas.
The extensive search, with assistance from the Brevard County Sheriff's Office aviation unit, continued for hours, which got the child's father and neighbors more worried. On February 10, 2023, around 1 pm, Franklin Orwig was located. He was found safe and uninjured about 60 yards away from his home in a heavily wooded area with his dog, Rufus, who stayed at the child's side.
An update by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office said:
"Our helicopter pilot and tactical flight officer spotted the child in a heavily wooded area and was able to direct our search and rescue teams on the ground to his location."
As reported by ClickOrlando, Frank Orwig said that the dog is "loyal" to the child.
Franklin Orwig reunited with his father
The Brevard County Sheriff's Office shared a video of Franklin Orwig being located in the woods, with deputies carrying him out and then handing him over to his father.
The Brevard County Sheriff's Office thanked the community and all the agencies who assisted in the search.
The post read:
"While today’s case thankfully ended with the little fellow being found safe and sound, it was a test and testament to how Brevard County Law Enforcement and its citizens partner together to keep everyone safe"
After being reunited with his son, Frank Orwig told Fox News:
"I ran up to him, and I wouldn’t even let him go, I was just crying so badly."
Frank also mentioned that he was worried about Franklin Orwig's well-being and thought he needed counseling. However, he mentioned that the 4-year-old thought he was on an adventure, doing something fun.
