BARTON TWP., Mich.– They may have not even met the little girl or her family, but dozens of volunteers spent hours looking for a missing toddler from Newaygo County.
Amber Rose Smith, 2, has not been seen since playing outside at her family’s home Tuesday afternoon.
Wednesday morning, volunteers were briefed with just what to expect on their hours long search.
“Walking through the woods and the cornfields, tough brush, It was muddy and really dense,” said volunteer Michelle Davey. She encountered ravines five feet deep and heavy brush waist deep high. Volunteers were told to stay only shoulder width apart because of the thick conditions in the field and woods.
“We know enough we figure we can be of some help,” said Davey.
Davey and her mother, Sharon Altman, were on their second shift in the search for the little girl. Altman recalled times when her daughter would wander off, just like little Amber.
“When Michelle was about her [Amber’s] age, she got into the woods and if I hadn’t seen the dog, I would have lost her,” said Altman.
Volunteers set out for three-hour increments and were armed with bright vests, gloves and water.
“I expect to find her, I expect to find her,” said another volunteer. “Doesn’t matter what the terrain is like, we are going to get this little gal.”
