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August 31, 2008

Nine-Year-Old Winslow Girl Located, Safe

Salem Township - Nine-year-old Leah Cuetara of Winslow, who was reported missing on Saturday morning, Aug. 30, was located at approximately 1:45 p.m. Sunday near an ATV trail in Salem Township and was transported by an ATV rider to a search command post, according to the Maine Warden Service.

Nine-year-old Leah Cuetara of Winslow, who was missing since 9:30 a.m. Saturday near Salem Township in western Maine, is checked out and hugged by her mother, Marjorie, after the youngster was located by ATV riders at approximately 1:45 p.m. Sunday and returned to a search command post at Mt. Abram High School in Salem.

Photo Credit: Maine Warden Service

Miss Cuetara was last seen at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday playing with young relatives at her grandparents’ home off Fish Hatchery Road in Salem Township in western Maine.

She was reported missing to the Maine Warden Service after 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon (Aug. 30). According to Lt. Pat Dorian, Miss Cuetara walked down a trail she had been on before with adults to go to a nearby stream. When trying to return, she became disoriented and was headed south along Quick Brook, he said.

Miss Cuetara was located by Jim Roberts, hometown unknown, and a passenger who were riding an ATV near a trail about 2.1 miles “as the crow files” from the location where she was last seen. The couple was talking to her when another ATV rider, Jason Pinkham of Salem, came upon them and offered to bring the youngster to the command post at Mt. Abram High School in Salem, nearly 5 road miles from where she was found.

Miss Cuetara was evaluated by emergency medical personnel at the command post and returned to her family. She suffered some bruises and received scratches from berry bushes, according to Lt. Dorian.

Lt. Dorian credits the successful return of Miss Cuetara to good weather and the “huge number of resources” searching for her in the heavily forested, rugged terrain of western Maine. Twenty-nine MWS game wardens, up to 350 volunteers, and personnel from the Maine State Police, the Maine Forest Service and Civil Air Patrol, and volunteers from several area fire departments took part in the search.