Dog Hero: K9 Finds Boy Lost in Missouri Ravine 96 Hours

What could have been tragic has instead become a story of the great work of a Missouri K9 officer and miraculous survival of a boy lost in a ravine for 96 hours exposed to the elements.

Jeff Crites, St. Francois County Sheriff, first alerted the public about a lost boy during the afternoon of July 29, 2025.

Dakota Trenkle Jr. had been lost for days when a K9 officer was put on his trail. After multiple agencies responded and participated in the search, the K9 officer "Darrell" found Dakota in a ravine with a traumatic leg injury. He had survived in the elements for 96 hours before he was located.

The initial investigation appears to show that this incident did not involve any foul play, but was simply an accident. At last report, Dakota Trenkle Jr. is in a local hospital recovering from his injuries. There's no update on his condition, but without the great work of all of the searchers and their brave K9 officer, this story would have likely had a much worse ending.