The child was cold and dehydrated after becoming separated from her family during a Fourth of July visit to Cape Lookout State Park.
TILLAMOOK, Ore. — A 4-year-old girl who disappeared during a family outing at an Oregon state park was found alive about three hours later after apparently walking miles along the beach, according to emergency officials.
The girl became separated from her family July 4 at Cape Lookout State Park in Tillamook County. Her disappearance prompted a large search involving state park rangers, sheriff’s deputies, firefighters, search-and-rescue teams and the U.S. Coast Guard. Crews searched the rugged coastline by land, sea and air as daylight faded and the tide created additional concern.
The call reporting the missing child came in at about 7 p.m., according to the Netarts-Oceanside Fire District. Officials believe the girl had been with a small group of children who were told to remain near the campground. The children went toward the beach, and the girl later became separated from the group.
Responders initially feared that the child might have entered the Pacific Ocean. Fire Chief Jeff McBrayer said the search began near high tide, when powerful waves and cold coastal water could have placed the girl in immediate danger. Searchers also faced cool temperatures, increasing wind and a broad area of beaches, forest and campground trails.
“When we got the call it was just about high tide,” McBrayer told KPTV. He said he feared that a wave might have pulled the child into the water, potentially leading to a tragic outcome. The Coast Guard sent an aircrew from Astoria, while other teams searched the shoreline, nearby water and surrounding parkland.
The response included Oregon State Parks rangers, the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office, Tillamook County Search and Rescue, Tillamook Ambulance, the Netarts-Oceanside Fire District and Coast Guard crews from Station Tillamook Bay. Fire district personnel also used drones, and the Tillamook 911 Center helped coordinate the operation.
A language barrier complicated communication during the search because members of the child’s family primarily spoke Russian, according to KPTV. Firefighter and emergency medical technician Vlad Bilan, who speaks Russian, served as a translator between the family, sheriff’s deputies and Coast Guard personnel. His assistance helped responders gather information while keeping the family informed.
About three hours after the search began, officials received a report that someone at a nearby campground had seen a young child walking alone on the Netarts Bay Spit. A state park ranger and sheriff’s deputies went to the area and located the girl. The fire district said she was found about five miles north of the search’s starting point.
The child was dehydrated and hypothermic when rescuers reached her but was otherwise in good condition, officials said. She was wrapped in blankets and taken by ambulance to Adventist Health Tillamook for medical evaluation. Bilan said the girl was smiling in the ambulance before being reunited with her aunt.
Authorities did not publicly identify the girl or her family. Officials had not announced further details about her medical treatment or release from the hospital. The successful rescue ended a multiagency search that officials described as a Fourth of July miracle.
Author note: Last updated July 14, 2026.