SELIGMAN, Ariz. (KTVK/KPHO/Gray News) – Investigators say a 2-year-old boy is safe after walking away from his home in Arizona. The toddler spent the night wandering along for seven miles – until a ranch dog came to his rescue.
Boden Allen, 2, walked away from his home in Seligman on Monday, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office. After the toddler was reported missing, over 40 volunteers, several deputies and Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers searched through the evening and into the night, AZFamily reports.
The high desert of northern Arizona is unforgiving, especially overnight when temperatures drop and predators come out.
“There were even two mountain lions spotted during the search last night,” said Megan Fitzgerald, YCSO’s public affairs and government relations director.
Sixteen hours into the search, around 8:20 a.m. Tuesday, a rancher named Scotty Dunton reported that a young child had walked onto his property. Deputies responded and confirmed it was Boden, who was about seven miles away from his home.
Dunton told deputies that his ranch dog, Buford, found the boy while patrolling the property and likely protected the child while directing him to safety.
“Going down the driveway and my dog was sitting down there with the little kid,” Dunton said. “Just brought him up from the horse pasture and brought him over to the gate and was just hanging out with him.”
Fitzgerald said cases like this don’t usually turn out as the sheriff’s office would hope.
“It’s a rarity, so it is not every day we get to sit here and talk about a happy ending where the child was safe and located,” she said.
While deputies are relieved Boden was found safe and in good spirits, they still can’t explain how he walked seven miles. Dunton says the only explanation he could think of is that the toddler followed the powerline all the way to his property.
“‘Did you walk all night?’ And he goes, ‘No, I slept under a tree.’ And I said, ‘Well, did my dog find you?’ And he said, ‘Yep,’” Dunton said. “The powerlines go out right to his house seven miles away or so.”
As for Buford, it’s back to work for the ranch dog – but not without a little reward.
“Oh, he’s getting steak dinner tonight, my wife already said,” Dunton said. ”He did a great job.”
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