Police say they have found a mother who went missing after a fire at her home and found her alive a week later. In a Facebook post on Oct...
In a Facebook post on October 8, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office reported that Britney Gard, 46, had been "found in a wooded area 2.5 miles" from her Bainbridge, Indiana, home. She had not been seen since September 30, evening.
The sheriff's office said on Wednesday, "She is now being cleared by medical staff." "No further details are available at this time." In an earlier press release, officers said that they were called to Gard's property on Wednesday, October 1, at about 7:39 p.m. local time because smoke was being seen coming from it. At that time, she wasn't at the house, and cops said they had tried to call her but had been "unsuccessful."
In a press statement posted on Facebook earlier on Wednesday, before Gard was found, the sheriff's office said that the fire at her house had been put out, but that some damage had been done to the house.
"Following the fire, attempts by family and friends to make contact with Ms. Gard have been unsuccessful," police said. "The fire location in the home was investigated by Avon Fire Department Investigators, and they have made preliminary indications that the fire is suspicious in nature," it said. "No further information will be released in reference to the fire as an active investigation into the circumstances of fire continues and the final determination of investigators is still pending."
Police said that several reaction teams were working together to find Gard. After hearing that she had been found, her family got together on Wednesday night.
"It's great." It's good to know. "Be glad she's still alive and with us," a family member told Fox 59.
"No one knows what took place." She got there, but no one knows how. The family told the news source, "No one knows what happened." WRTV reported that Gard's family said they knew something was wrong when she didn't show up to her daughter's volleyball game on the day she was meant to be there.
The news source said that her sister Stephanie Bowen said, "She was supposed to be at her daughter's volleyball game." Didn't show up. Then there's a fire. Her purse and car are both at home. The house is on fire and she's nowhere to be found. It doesn't make sense." Gard's family and friends made a Facebook page called "Find Britney Gard" to bring attention to her missing. On Wednesday, they said on her page that she had been found.
A post said, "UPDATE! 🙏 Thank you to everyone who helped bring our sister home!"
When PEOPLE asked the Putnam County Sheriff's Office for more information, they did not answer right away. has also tried to get in touch with Gard's family.