Missing 5-year-old child found by hiker in Lincoln

A five-year-old child that went missing while walking with a group along a conservation trail in Lincoln was reunited with a parent after being found by a hiker Thursday evening, the town’s fire department said.

The group was between Red Maple Lane and Sandy Pond Reservoir when the child ran away at about 4:30 p.m., Lincoln fire said in a statement on Facebook.

Authorities conducted an extensive search of the woods in the area.

Multiple agencies, including K9 units and a State Police airwing, assisted in the search, the statement said. A hiker called 911 at 5:47 p.m. to report that they had found a child alone in the woods.

The hiker was located and the child was evaluated before being reunited with their parent, the statement said.