Civil Air Patrol assists in search for missing child
Published on:
October 8, 2026
Members responded from across the state, with some traveling from as far as four hours away to assist. Photo contributed.
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TIOGA COUNTY―Civil Air Patrol’s New York Wing joined the search for a missing child in Tioga County on October 6 after the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) opened an U.S. Air Force-assigned search and rescue mission requesting the wing’s support.
Within about three hours of receiving the request, the wing’s first ground team was on scene.
Members responded from across New York state, with some traveling from as far as four hours away to assist. Two CAP ground teams, comprising 17 members, participated in the ground search Oct. 6. In total, 24 members were signed into the mission that day, including ground personnel, aircrew, and incident management staff. A CAP aircrew was ready to provide aerial support, but the available daylight ended before an aerial search could begin.
About 50 CAP members stayed overnight in preparation for continued search operations Oct. 7, with additional ground team members arriving from Pennsylvania Wing to assist. New York Wing also had four aircraft and their crews ready to provide aerial search support. Across the response, 78 CAP members signed into the mission.
The Tioga County Sheriff’s Office announced that members of the Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police located the child alive and safe early Oct. 7 in the town of Nichols. Following news of the child’s recovery, all CAP personnel were directed to stand down before any CAP search operations began that day.
The New York Wing welcomes this positive outcome and thanks the Tioga County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers, and the other emergency responders, search and rescue teams, and community volunteers who contributed to the search. The wing also recognizes its volunteers and Pennsylvania Wing ground team members for answering the call and standing ready to assist.
The New York Wing extends its appreciation to Chenango Valley State Park for making its bunkhouses available to CAP members, providing overnight accommodations as volunteers prepared to continue the search.
The response illustrates the cooperation among the AFRCC, Civil Air Patrol, and local authorities in mobilizing search and rescue resources when communities need assistance.
Locally, the Vanguard Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol is based in the Freehold.
About Civil Air Patrol
Founded in 1941 and established as the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force seven years later, Civil Air Patrol is chartered by Congress as a nonprofit organization for the purposes of youth development, aerospace education, and to promote general aviation. In an auxiliary role as a Total Force partner of the Air Force, CAP operates the world’s largest fleet of single-engine aircraft for search and rescue, disaster relief, training, and education. Civil Air Patrol is dedicated to serving America’s communities, saving lives, and shaping futures.
