Missing mom found alive in forest as officials investigate ‘suspicious’ house fire

An Indiana mother who vanished more than a week ago has been found alive in a nearby forest, just days after flames broke out in her home in what authorities are calling a “suspicious” fire.

According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, around 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 8, dispatchers received a 911 call from 46-year-old Britney Gard, who said she was lost in the Hall Woods Nature Preserve, east of Bainbridge, Indiana. The location was about 2.5 miles from her residence, officials said.

“Britney was quickly found by Putnam County Sheriff’s deputies with the assistance of Indiana Conservation Officers, an Indiana State Police detective, Bainbridge Fire Department personnel and excellent directions from our 911 dispatchers,” Sheriff Jerrod E. Baugh said in a statement.

Gard was evaluated at the scene by medical personnel before being taken to a hospital for further treatment. Authorities have not disclosed her current condition.

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Search crews found a missing mother alive in Hall Woods Nature Preserve days after a fire at her home. (Putnamparks.org; Find Britney Gard/Facebook)

“The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is not currently looking for any individuals of interest in this missing person investigation of Britney Gard,” the statement continued. “There is no current threat to the general public in this case.”

Baugh expressed gratitude for the coordinated search effort.

“It is with great relief that we were able to find Ms. Gard last evening and bring this missing person case to a close,” Baugh said. “We would like to thank her family and all of the organizations that worked with us around the clock.”

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Authorities say Britney Gard was located in the wooded preserve more than a week after a “suspicious” house fire. (Find Britney Gard/Facebook)

Baugh added that detectives and staff “continued to work tirelessly with Ms. Gard’s family to bring her home,” and emphasized that the case remains under investigation.

“We will not be releasing any further details in this case at this time,” he said.

Gard was reported missing after a fire broke out at her Putnam County home on Oct. 1. Fire crews extinguished the blaze, which was contained to one portion of the residence, but could not locate Gard inside, according to the sheriff’s office.

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Authorities are investigating a “suspicious” fire after rescuers found the missing mother alive nearby. (Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Indiana)

Investigators said that the fire appeared “suspicious in nature.” Family members and authorities were unable to reach Gard after the fire, prompting days of searches through fields, wooded areas and ponds near her home.

Gard’s daughter, who had been at a volleyball game that evening, returned home to find emergency crews on-site and was told her mother was missing, according to WRTV.

The outlet also reported that Gard’s purse and ID were left behind. 

Family members — including Gard’s four sisters — traveled from across the country to help with search efforts during the week she was missing, WRTV reported. 

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Authorities have not released further details about how Gard ended up in the wooded preserve or the cause of the fire. The investigation remains ongoing.

“Please continue to keep Ms. Gard’s family, our investigators and emergency personnel in your prayers,” Baugh said.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to [email protected].