Farms.com Home  › News

Toddler Gone Missing in 10-Foot-Tall Corn Field is Finally Detected During Nighttime Search for the 3-Year-Old

By Andy Corbley

A little 3-year-old wandered into a cornfield behind his house, determined to catch a kitty he had seen run between the stalks.

For anyone who’s enjoyed a late summer/early autumn corn maze, they’ll know it’s an easy micro-environment to get lost in. And sure enough, the boy was in over his head within moments.

Deputies responded to calls from the child’s parents in the town of Alto, in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin on August 25th. By 7:30 p.m., they still hadn’t found him, but suspected he was somewhere among the 100 acres of ears beside their house.

As the light faded away, all nearby homes and barns had been searched, and the deputies realized they had to comb the cornfield on foot.

But fortunately they had a special electric eye in the sky—a search and rescue drone from the Pont du Lac Police Department Technology Response Group, equipped with a thermal imaging camera.

While officers entered calling out for the boy, the drone quickly spotted a thermal signature amongst the corn stalks at about 9:30. Drone operators radioed the deputies who could be guided to the boy’s position.

Click here to see more...

Trending Video

We’ll NEVER Use These Grain Bins Again!

Video: We’ll NEVER Use These Grain Bins Again!


A huge change is happening on the farm — our new grain bin has officially arrived, and that means we’ll never use some of our old grain bins again. In today's video, we take delivery of the new grain bin, look back at the old bins that have been part of our farm for years, and talk about why this upgrade is such a big deal for harvest, grain storage, and the future of our family farm.

This is more than just a grain bin delivery. It’s the end of an era and the start of a major farm upgrade that will completely change how we handle corn during harvest. From old grain storage to a brand-new bin setup, this project is one of the biggest improvements we’ve made at the farm.

Join me as the new grain bin shows up, the bin project continues, and we prepare for a new chapter in harvest efficiency on our Minnesota family farm.