Bridget Maeve Zeigler search update: the 2-year-old was found safe early Friday afternoon in the woods near her house after she was reported missing Thursday evening in Virginia. The search ended after a multi-agency effort that used aviation and K9 resources.
Authorities believed Bridget Maeve Zeigle had walked away from her home around 6 p.m. Thursday, and they were notified within an hour of her disappearance. The child was described as a white female with short brown hair and blue eyes, about 2 feet tall and 30 pounds, and she was seen wearing an orange dress, a blue coat and white tennis shoes.
Cumberland County search
The Cumberland Sheriff's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Virginia State Police and other law enforcement agencies joined the search in Cumberland County, Virginia. A search team found Bridget Maeve Zeigle in the woods relatively near her house early Friday afternoon.
Virginia State Police issued a CODI alert at approximately 11:30 p.m. Thursday on behalf of the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office. Cumberland County Public Schools also sent an alert urging community members to contact authorities with any information about her whereabouts.
Bridget Maeve Zeigle and the Cumberland
The recovery ended an overnight search for a child believed to be on foot, with aviation and K9 resources focused on the wooded area near her home. Bridget Maeve Zeigle was found safe, but the available facts do not explain exactly how she reached the woods after walking away from home.
For families in Cumberland County, the immediate concern has shifted from the search itself to how the child moved from home to the wooded area before she was found.
