(WWJ) A 4-month-old boy is being treated for hypothermia after being left alone in a wooded area in Orion Township.
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office says the investigation began with a report of a distraught woman who was ringing doorbells and hiding in the woods near Waldon and Joslyn.
Deputies interviewed the 37-year-old woman, were able to calm here down, and eventually discovered that she had an infant son. Deputies also noticed she had burrs on her pants, suggesting she may have been in a field or wooded area.
It took more than a dozen officers searching with a tracking dog about half-an-hour to find the baby facedown near the Orion Township creek, cold and wet but breathing.
Deputies quickly stabilized the child with the help of Orion Township EMS. It is unclear how long the infant had been there.
Deputies removed the baby's wet sleeper and wrapped it in warm blankets before he was taken to St. Joseph Mercy hospital.
He will be kept overnight for observation, officials said, but is expected to be OK.
"Thankfully, deputies were able to determine a baby was missing, which triggered an immediate large response and search, and they were able locate the child," Sheriff Mike Bouchard said. "Their quick work avoided what could have been an unspeakable tragedy."
Once out of the hospital, the infant will be placed in the care of Child Protective Services.
The mother is in the hospital as aurhotiies seek a warrant for child abuse. Sheriff's investigators believe she may have been abusing prescription drugs.
