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A police K-9 helped lead officers to a missing 13-year-old boy during a snowstorm in Gastonia, North Carolina, late Saturday, allowing emergency crews to find the child safely despite dangerous winter conditions, authorities said.
The Gastonia Police Department said on Facebook that K-9 Bo and his handler, Sgt. Rowland, were called in after the boy, who has special needs, left home on foot without proper clothing as snow and cold temperatures intensified.
Officers from multiple agencies established a search perimeter while the K-9 tracked the boy’s scent through the snow and darkness.
The child later wandered into the secured area and was spotted by Gaston Emergency Medical Services, who found him cold but unharmed.
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Police K-9 Bo poses for a photo in the snow after helping track a missing boy on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (Courtesy: Facebook/ Gastonia Police Department)
“This successful outcome was made possible by quick action, strong teamwork, and the dedication of everyone involved — especially a snowy snouted K-9 Bo who performed well in the midst of severe weather,” the police department said.
FOX Weather reported that a historic nor’easter rapidly intensified off the North Carolina coast overnight Sunday, delivering record snowfall across parts of the Southeast and near hurricane-force wind gusts.
Sgt. Rowland with the Gastonia Police Department poses for a photo with K-9 Bo on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (Courtesy: Facebook/ Gastonia Police Department)
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The storm dropped more than a foot of snow in parts of Tennessee, the Carolinas and Virginia, while the strongest wind gust reached 70 mph in Nags Head, North Carolina, with the Outer Banks seeing widespread gusts above 65 mph.
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According to the FOX Forecast Center, the storm’s pressure fell 33 millibars in just 24 hours Saturday night into Sunday, as arctic air tied to a displaced polar vortex collided with warm, moisture-laden air from the Gulf, fueling the explosive intensification.
FOX Weather’s Julian Atienza contributed to this report.