In a remarkable turn of events, a baby lost for two days during Hurricane Beryl has been found alive, with police describing his survival as a “miracle.” The 1-year-old endured the storm’s heavy rains and 40-mile-per-hour wind gusts while alone in a ditch along Interstate 10 in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
On July 9, Texas trucker Reginald Walton spotted what he initially thought was a discarded doll near the highway. “As I was going down the highway, I noticed an image to the right over an embankment, and I thought maybe it was a doll that someone had thrown out the window,” Walton told KADN News 15. “But as I was passing by, I saw it move, and I said, ‘That looked like a baby.’” According to Walton, he immediately pulled over and called 911.
At a press conference, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Gary Guillory expressed his astonishment at the child’s resilience. “We look at this 1-year-old as our miracle baby because he was still alive,” Guillory said. “This kid spent two days out in the weather on the side of the highway. Thank God that trucker seen him… here he was crawling toward the highway, so we are so thankful for this trucker,” Guillory said.
The baby was rushed to the hospital, where doctors found him in miraculously good condition despite his ordeal. “He had quite a few insect bites, but he was drinking water, sitting up, so he’s in good spirits,” Guillory said.
The discovery came after the Sheriff’s office had issued a BOLO (Be On The Lookout) for the baby, prompted by the tragic discovery of his older brother’s remains. On July 8, the police marine division recovered the body of a 4-year-old boy from a large and turbulent body of water behind the Vinton Welcome Center. The boy was identified as the son of Aaliyah N. Jack, 25, of Lake Charles, and had last been seen with his mother and younger brother.
The boys’ paternal grandmother, Dion Polk, shared her fears about the children’s safety before the tragedy occurred. According to Polk, the 4-year-old had been living with her since May, as Jack did not have a stable place to stay and often stayed in hotels and cars. “She gave her mother Kingtrail [the 1-year-old half brother of Legend] and she gave me Legend, and she told us she was going to live her best life,” Polk said.
On July 6, Jack requested to take the 4-year-old to attend a family funeral. When Polk didn’t move fast enough, Jack involved authorities. This led to a planned meeting with child welfare officials.
However, Polk ended up leaving the 4-year-old with his maternal grandmother, and Jack took both children from the home before Polk could retrieve them.
Jack was later found at a Mississippi train station, attempting to flee. She was arrested on charges of failure to report a missing child, but the 1-year-old was still missing. Walton’s timely discovery of the baby brought a bittersweet relief amid the tragedy.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the case continues, and more charges against Jack are possible according to authorities. “We still have a lot of work to do, but I can promise you this sheriff’s office is going to commit every resource that we have in order to bring justice,” Guillory said. The 4-year-old’s cause of death is pending an autopsy, while the 1-year-old, the miracle baby, remains in stable condition.
