UPDATE: Three-Year-Old Effingham County Girl Found Unharmed

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Published on August 7 2014 10:13 am
Written by Greg Sapp

A three-year-old girl, missing for some three hours after wandering into a cornfield near the Moccasin community, was found unharmed about 3pm today.

Teutopolis firefighter Tim Probst and Altamont firefighter Charles Siebert hold Alexia Followell. Probst and Siebert are the firefighters who found Alexia in a cornfield near her home.

Alexia Followell was found by two volunteer firefighters searching the field, Charles Siebert of the Altamont Fire Department and Tim Probst of the Teutopolis Fire Department. Siebert told us that the two were walking the rows when one of them heard a little girl crying. They called out and the crying got louder and the firefighters walked toward the sound and found the little girl.

It was an emotional scene when Alexia was brought back to the house and returned to her mother, Sarah. Many of the law enforcement and emergency services officers on scene were emotionally affected by her safe recovery, as well, as many had worked on the Willow Long case in Watson where the results turned out to be tragic.

Wachtel Farms along Moccasin Road was used as a staging area. Volunteer searchers were gathered there and were ready to be dispatched to replace the initial searchers when word came that Alexia had been found.

Sarah Followell and her family are overcome with emotion as her daughter Alexia is welcomed back safe and sound.

Some 150 people between law enforcement and emergency services personnel and volunteers turned out for the incident. Those on hand included Illinois State Police, Effingham County Sheriff's Department, Shumway Fire Department, Tri-County Fire Department of Beecher City, Altamont Fire Department, Teutopolis Fire Department, Watson Fire Department, Effingham County Emergency Management Agency, Effingham City Police Department, St. Elmo Fire Department, Edgewood Bi-County Fire Department, Effingham County Search and Rescue, Illinois Secretary of State Police, Illinois Department of Conservation, Altamont City Police Department and Altamont Ambulance Service. State police provided aerial surveillance and drones were being deployed when the girl was located.

We have additional photos on our Facebook page, located here.