Miracle baby survives stormy weather for two days, found by truck driver
In a remarkable turn of events, a one-year-old baby survived two days of stormy weather before being spotted crawling along a roadside by a truck driver in Louisiana. The discovery comes just days after the tragic death of the child’s four-year-old brother and the arrest of their mother.
Sheriff’s statement
Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Gary ‘Stitch’ Guillory reported that the baby, despite numerous bug bites, appeared to be in good condition. Post-mortem examination results are pending for the four-year-old, whose body was found on Monday in a lake behind an Interstate 10 welcome center near the Texas state line.
Timeline of events
The four-year-old was last seen on Saturday with his mother, Aaliyah Jack, 25, of Lake Charles, and the one-year-old. Fearing the worst for the missing baby, authorities had prepared to search the lake where the older child’s body was discovered. However, a truck driver spotted the baby crawling along the highway and promptly alerted emergency services.
Visibly moved during a Tuesday news conference in Lake Charles, about 200 miles west of New Orleans, Sheriff Guillory referred to the surviving infant as a “miracle baby.” He said, “This kid spent two days out in the weather on the side of the highway. Thank God that trucker seen him.”
Impact of Hurricane Beryl
The search for the missing child unfolded amidst the severe conditions brought by Hurricane Beryl, which struck east Texas early on Monday. The rescue efforts were hampered by intermittent heavy rain and high wind gusts.
Mother’s arrest
Aaliyah Jack was arrested on Monday night in Meridian, Mississippi, more than 350 miles from where her children were found. She is to be extradited to Louisiana, where she faces a charge of failure to report a missing child. A Louisiana judge has set her bail at $233,500 as the investigation continues.