GILES COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Far too often, NewsChannel 5 has to report about tragic endings to a missing persons report. Thankfully, this isn't one of those stories.
Caulyne Cross was first reported missing in Giles County last Tuesday.
"We've had calls by citizens around three or four o’clock [Tuesday.] That was the last time she was sighted," said Giles County Sheriff Kyle Helton.
Helton called in neighboring officers and local volunteers to help with the search. Every tool in their toolbox was used in hopes of bringing Mrs. Cross home.
We had last talked to Sheriff Helton on Thursday when there had been no new leads for nearly 48 hours. That usually indicates a tragic ending could be coming. Instead, we got a miracle.
"We got a call that they had found her," said Helton.
Saturday, he got that phone call from a member of the nonprofit search group Christian Aid Ministries. The group decided to focus on a drainage ditch in the area. Not only did they find her, they found her alive.
"I put it up as one of the top, top things that’s happened in my career — 35 years," said Helton, through FaceTime in an interview on Monday. "It was a glorious moment for everyone. Everyone was crying and hugging each other. It was just a great moment."
You can watch Sheriff Helton recount this special moment in the video player above.
Helton reports that Cross is doing just fine physically and is now resting at home. They believe because she deals with dementia, she got a little lost on one of her usual walks.
"I think Mr. Cross was at a doctor’s appointment, and she got further away than usually she does," said Helton.
If left to logic, Helton figured the chances of finding her alive were slim to none. This makes what happened in his county at least in his mind, the definition of an answered prayer.
"God is good!" he said.
To that end, Helton thinks it was no coincidence that Cross was found, shortly after her hometown held a prayer vigil.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
