Missing girl found safe thanks to Gwinnett police helicopter: WATCH

Lina PortmanMay 31, 2024

0 1 minute read

Police released video footage Thursday showing how officers found a missing Lawrenceville teen, who was returned home safely.

May 30, 2024, 3:31 p.m. EDT | Update May 30, 2024, 3:35 p.m. EDT

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — After a search involving officers on the ground and in the sky, police say a “critically missing” 15-year-old Lawrenceville girl was found safe and returned home Wednesday.

A mother told Gwinnett County police that her daughter went missing around 11:45 a.m. from their home on Dunlin Way, police said Thursday.

The mother said she had argued with her daughter earlier in the day and about 30 minutes later, when she went to check on the teenager, she found that her daughter was no longer at home. house, police said.

Surveillance footage showed the teen leaving his home without shoes, police said.

The Gwinnett County Police Air Unit was asked to help locate the teen, and after searching nearby neighborhoods, officers aboard the helicopter were able to locate her within minutes of arriving in the area , the police said.

The Gwinnett County Police Department's aviation unit is helping find a 15-year-old girl who went missing Wednesday in Lawrenceville. (Photo courtesy of Gwinnett County Police)

Officers aboard the helicopter were able to share the girl's location with officers on the ground, and Cpl. Christopher Hanna found the girl standing on the sidewalk, police said.

“The child was visibly upset and frightened. Corporal Hanna was able to calm the child and return her safely to her parents,” police said in a news release.

Hanna's interaction with the teen was captured in a 57-second video clip released by police Thursday. It shows officers speaking with the girl before she gets into a patrol car.

“Gwinnett County Police Department officers receive training on handling people in crisis situations. Corporal Hanna used this training to resolve this situation in a professional and compassionate manner. This case highlights several units within the department police officers who all work together to ensure the public safety of the citizens of Gwinnett County,” police said in the press release.