Red Flag Warning
until MON 9:00 PM CDT, Pennington County, North Beltrami County, South Beltrami County, Norman County, West Otter Tail County, Red Lake County, Lake Of The Woods County, East Marshall County, West Polk County, Hubbard County, Roseau County, Mahnomen County, East Otter Tail County, North Clearwater County, East Polk County, South Clearwater County, West Becker County, Grant County, East Becker County, Wadena County, Kittson County, Wilkin County, Clay County, West Marshall County, Swift County, Watonwan County, Stearns County, Pope County, Hennepin County, Kanabec County, Freeborn County, Redwood County, Kandiyohi County, Sibley County, Benton County, Morrison County, Washington County, Mille Lacs County, Renville County, Sherburne County, Lac Qui Parle County, Isanti County, Waseca County, Chisago County, Goodhue County, Douglas County, Martin County, Brown County, Steele County, Nicollet County, Ramsey County, Scott County, Blue Earth County, McLeod County, Yellow Medicine County, Stevens County, Anoka County, Wright County, Faribault County, Rice County, Dakota County, Meeker County, Todd County, Le Sueur County, Northern Aitkin County, South Itasca County, Pine County, South Cass County, Koochiching County, Carlton/South St. Louis Counties, Central St. Louis County, North St. Louis County, Crow Wing County, North Itasca County, North Cass County, Northern Cook/Northern Lake Counties, South Aitkin County, Traverse County, Big Stone County, Lyon County, Lincoln County, Cottonwood County, Rock County, Murray County, Pipestone County, Jackson County, Nobles County, Dunn County, Barron County, Pierce County, Polk County, Douglas County, Washburn County, Burnett County
4

Baby boy survives 9 hours buried in western Montana woods

Courtesy of Flikr user "Nova"

A 5-month-old infant who miraculously survived more than nine hours being buried under a pile of sticks and debris in the woods of western Montana suffered only minor injuries despite wearing wet and soiled clothes in cold weather, authorities said Monday. 

The baby boy is otherwise in good condition, authorities said.

Missoula County Sheriff's deputies were called about 8 p.m. Saturday about a man threatening people in the Lolo Hot Springs area of the Lolo National Forest. Deputies apprehended the man, who indicated that a baby was buried somewhere in the woods.

The sheriff's office hastily put together a search crew of federal, state and local officials that combed the forest outside the hot springs for six hours before a deputy heard a baby's cry at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday. 

He found the baby face-down under the pile of sticks and debris, dressed only in a wet and soiled onesie in the 46-degree (8-degree Celsius) weather.

"He suffered some minor scrapes and bruising but overall is in good health," sheriff's spokeswoman Brenda Bassett said in a statement Monday.

The baby was taken to a hospital. Custody of the child has been referred to the state Division of Child and Family Services, whose spokesman, Chuck Council, did not immediately return a call for comment on Monday.

Francis Crowley, 32, was being held on $50,000 bail on a charge of criminal endangerment. Additional charges will follow, the sheriff's office said in a statement Sunday.

"For all of us at the sheriff's office, this is what we call a miracle," the statement said. "For the officers who were present for this event, it's especially hard knowing what this small baby endured in the last 24 hours."

The nature of Crowley's relationship to the baby was not immediately clear. There was no information on whether Crowley had an attorney.