Pushing past the growing corn stalks were hundreds of arms. Beams of light were flashing across the field. A name being called could be heard over and over again — Remy. As Timber stopped running she began to feel sick to her stomach. Running through the corn maze she felt bodies brushing against her. It all looked the same. They had been looking for her daughter for hours. Would she ever find her? That’s when she heard a small noise.
Before shielding her eyes from the sun, Timber Elliot wiped her palms on her pants. She was finishing the dishes from dinner when a silence fell upon her. She could normally hear her little Remy’s giggles and screams as she played with her pet terrier. But as Timber looked out into the yard, there was nothing. Where could Remy be?
Remy loved playing hide and seek, so Timber checked her favorite places to hide. She checked under the hay, behind the car, in the corn stalks, but there was no Remy. In hopes of their dog hearing, Timber clapped her hands and whistled. But all she could hear was the rustling of the fields of corn. Her four-legged friend, Fat Heath, always came when she called. There was definitely something wrong.
Timber took off for the house and ran up the stairs. She looked behind every curtain and under every bed. She looked in all of the wardrobes and behind all of the doors. But there was no Remy to be found. Timber’s mind began to race. Did someone take Remy? Was she okay? Was she hurt? And where was Fat Heath?
Timber didn’t waste a second. Her hands were shaking as she dialed the number for 911. Trying to remain calm, she gripped the counter as she described the situation to the police – Remy was lost, alone, and more than likely in trouble. She couldn’t stop tears from rolling down her cheeks. Why didn’t she keep a better eye on Remy?
The news of Remy’s disappearance spread quickly. Once Timber made the call, more than 100 officers and volunteers showed up on their farm. As night began to fall, flashlights were brought to their home. People put on their jackets as they prepared for a long night. Timber received kind words full of optimism, but nothing helped. How would she ever be able to forgive herself?
“It was stressful and emotional. We were all out there just walking back and forth, from one end to the other, yelling her name,” explained John Paul Kopp, a family friend. Several hours passed. Neighbors, friends, family, complete strangers, and police officers were searching for Remy. People were bumping into one another while they were walking back and forth, calling out for Remy. Timber was exhausted, but ignoring the pain in her legs, she kept moving forward. But that’s when the unthinkable happened.
The lights began to fade. You could see the flickers of light begin to die in the distance. Timber turned to look at her friend John, but he disappeared as darkness fell. Her heart was pounding in her ears. “You don’t hear well in the corn either. So, when someone’s yelling your name, I mean you hear them, but you don’t know where it’s coming from,” explained a volunteer. Timber put down the torch. There was nothing left. She began to cry. That’s when the sheriff decided to end the search for the night.
Timber wasn’t able to sleep that night. She stayed awake and continued to worry about her daughter. She found herself jumping at every sound in hopes that it was Remy. As the sun rose, Timber went outside to find a lot of the same faces from the night before, along with some new ones. As she picked up Fat Heath’s water bowl, she heard a chopping noise rising in the distance. There were two helicopters flying above her, making their way to the field. Timber wasn’t going to give up.
Just as they did the night before, the group of volunteers made their way to the corn. They searched the area, calling out for Remy. Timber’s brother Quinlin drove from Kentucky to Missouri to help look for Remy. Timber explained a surprising truth about the corn. “The corn fields are like razor blades, cutting you, especially for a child,” she explained. Quinlin pushed through the field, determined to find his niece. That’s when he heard a bark.
Not wanting to make a sound, Quinlin stopped walking. He called out for Remy and waited. He heard another weak bark. He turned around, but he couldn’t tell where it was coming from. So he ran, stopping to try to find the direction the noise was coming from. He pushed the corn stalks aside. And then he almost fell to the ground.
About a half a mile into the field, Remy was lying motionless. She had dirt all over her face and hands. Dirt and leaves covered her hair, and her pants were stained from mud. But right next to her was Fat Heath. Quinlin lifted her little body from the bed that they made. Fat Heath followed Quinlin with a wagging tail. But Remy couldn’t wake up.
Remy was brought back to Timber. She quickly brought the little girl to the Black River Medical Center. “She was asleep whenever they picked her up. She was definitely exhausted and hot,” explained Timber. Timber was extremely worn-out and dehydrated, but she couldn’t help but blame herself. What would have happened if Fat Heath wasn’t there to protect her for 12 hours? Then she received Remy’s results.
Remy was covered in rashes and bug bites from spending the night in the corn. “I’ve never seen that many mosquito bites on anyone before,” explained Timber. Thankfully, Fat Heath was there with her to keep her calm and safe from predators. Timber couldn’t help but think about what could have happened to Remy if Fat Heath wasn’t there with her. Talk about girl’s best friend.
Remy is finally back with her favorite companion, Fat Heath. Since being shared online, the story has gone viral. Plenty of people have stated that the hero of the story was Fat Heath, and not the uncle who found her. Timber asked Remy, “Why were you not scared?” The shy little girl replied, “Because Fat Heath was with me.” Luckily, this story had a happy ending. And Fat Heath deserves a bunch of treats!