ECAT Driver Helps Lost Children

The Driver called Dispatch when three young children boarded the bus and said they did not know where their parents were...The Sheriff's office eventually found the parent and the children are now safe and with DCF

Yesterday afternoon an ECAT driver assisted the Sheriff's office with locating the parents of three missing children who didn't know where they lived or where their parents were.  Kudos to this driver for insuring the safety of these children!  From the email we all received:

"At approximately 1:55 PM today,  three unattended minor children, ages 8, 7, and 6, were waiting at the ECAT bus stop near Happy China Restaurant on Mobile Highway.  When the Route 1 Bus pulled up to the stop, the children boarded the bus. The bus operator inquired on where were their parents. The children shrugged their shoulders that they didn’t know or knew where they were going.  As a designated “Safe Place”,  the operator immediately contacted ECAT dispatch office. Following protocols, the operator allowed the children to ride, while notifying dispatch. I had dispatch to call 911 and requested the sheriff officer to meet bus at the ECAT station. We escorted the children to my office to wait for the sheriff officer. 

After over an hour, sheriff officer questioned them and was able to get some fragmented information from the children, who didn’t know their address, phone number, or their mother’s whereabouts. The eight year old, stated the thirteen year old cousin left them at the bus stop. DCF was notified and we made contact with the mother around 4:15 PM. She and DCF arrived around 5:30 PM and the sheriff officer released the children to DCF at 5:50 PM

While in our custody, we gave them all Happy Meals, coloring books, and kept them entertained. We are glad that the children are safe and their parent was located."