Britney Gard, 46, of Bainsbridge in Putnam County, is now undergoing medical care following her disappearance.
Bizarre disappearance of Indiana mother of two
The situation was odd. On October 1, local units responded to a fire at her residence on East County Road 600 North in Putnam County. She wasn't home at the time, but her car was parked in the driveway and her purse was inside. But there's no sign of the mother of two.
Investigators deemed the fire suspicious in nature. Her family said Sept. 30 the evening before was the last time anyone had seen her. No one was able to contact her.
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| Pictured, Britney Gard, Bainsbridge, Putnam County, Indiana woman. |
Her disappearance led to a large search, with rescuers looking through about 75 acres of corn and checking ponds for any trace of her. Drones were also deployed in the search.
Law enforcement tracked her phone as Indiana State Police and the FBI provided assistance in the case. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office revealed on Wednesday that Gard had been found alive in a wooded area about 2.5 miles away from her home.
Authorities didn’t provide any additional details about the circumstances leading to her disappearance.
Putnam County, Indiana mom found alive but questions persist
Family members don’t know where Gard has been for the last eight days and weren’t sure if she was in the woods the entire time. Nor why the mom hadn’t reached out or whether she was ever in danger. And what exactly led to the house fire and whether it was deliberately set and if so, by whom?
Gard’s family previously said they knew something was wrong when she didn’t show up to her daughter’s volleyball game on the day she was reported missing, WRTV reported.
Nevertheless, family members expressed relief at the outcome.
‘We had some alerts set up so that if Britney’s phone did become available that it would start squawking and it did,’ said Kenny Bowen, Gard’s brother-in-law according to FOX59.
‘[The investigator] just said, ‘Kenny, I’ve got her. I’m getting her out of the woods,’’ Bowen said. ‘It was just an amazing and helpful call.’
The family is still trying to come to terms with what happened.
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‘Panic, is it really her?’ said Stephanie Bowen, Gard’s sister, of her initial reaction. ‘I was just in shock. Excited, hopeful. When we confirmed it, it made us all feel relieved.’
Investigators haven’t said if anyone else was involved in her disappearance. When asked about the possibility, the family deferred to the sheriff’s office. Authorities continue to remain tight lipped. At least for now.
