Woman on horseback, loggers help find 2-year-old lost girl

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    MOLALLA, OR (KPTV) — The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office says a woman on horseback and local loggers helped locate a little girl who was lost in a wooded area Thursday morning.

The sheriff’s office said they were notified at around 11:19 a.m. about a 2-year-old girl who was missing in the Molalla River Recreation Area, which is located about 10 miles south of Molalla.

Deputies, along with search and rescue crews, responded to the area and spoke to Gayla Ann Jay, 62, who said she had been on a walk with her two grandchildren when 2-year-old Iris had run ahead on the trail and out of sight.

Gayla told deputies that she tried to catch up to her granddaughter, but came to a four-way split on the trail and did not know where Iris was.

The sheriff’s office said Gayla searched for about 15 minutes and then began flagging down passing logging crews. Multiple loggers stopped and started searching for Iris.

Along with search crews and loggers, other residents in the area were also helping look for Iris.

One of those residents was Tammy Stevens, 59, from Beaverton.

The sheriff’s office said Tammy had been riding her horse, Bo, on the trail with her two dogs, Wilson and Maddie, when she heard about the missing 2-year-old.

After about 20 minutes of searching in terrain Tammy described as steep and dangerous, she heard a child crying.

According to the sheriff’s office, Tammy told Wilson, “Go get her.” Wilson then led her to a very steep hill.

Together they climbed up the hill – about 70 feet up – and found Iris. She was located off Looney’s Trail, about a half mile from Hardy Creek.

Ten minutes later, Tammy found Dave, a logger who had also been searching. The sheriff’s office said Dave was able to bring Iris to where deputies and medical personnel were staged.

The sheriff’s office said Iris was checked out by paramedics and then reunited with her family.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Tammy, Dave and others who helped search for Iris.

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