A mother from Indiana, who was feared to have been abducted after her sudden disappearance coincided with a fire at her home, was discovered alive over a week later in nearby woods.
Britney Gard, age 46, went missing for eight days before being found alive on Wednesday and subsequently transported to a hospital for care.
Authorities located her after she reached out for help, stating she needed assistance to navigate out of a wooded region just 2.5 miles away from her residence, as reported by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
Gard disappeared on September 30 and was reported missing when she did not attend her daughter’s volleyball match the following day.
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Her 13-year-old daughter returned home after her game, only to be met by authorities who informed her that they had not been able to locate her mother.
Gard left everything behind, including her personal belongings and vehicle.
Compounding the mystery, firefighters were dispatched to address a small fire at the home the day after she vanished, yet no one was present when they arrived.
A search organized by Gard’s four sisters covered an extensive 35-mile area around Indianapolis, but yielded no leads in finding the missing mother.
“Who took her?” Gard’s sister, Stephanie Bowen, questioned on WRTV on Monday.
“I feel like there’s something bigger at play that we don’t understand, and that someone has information.”
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office indicated they are not pursuing any persons of interest and assured the public there is “no current threat.”
However, how Gard ended up in the woods and what transpired during her eight days of absence remains unanswered.
“No one knows what happened. No one knows how she ended up there. No one knows the details,” her family shared with WTWO.
Nonetheless, the family is immensely relieved that Gard is safe.
“It’s a great feeling. A huge relief. We are filled with joy that she’s alive and back with us,” they expressed to the news outlet.
The specifics of Gard’s medical treatment remain unclear at this time.
