Massive Search Ongoing for 7-Year-Old Girl Missing In Kittitas Co

UPDATE 4PM MONDAY

The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office reports the missing girl has been located and "with only minor injuries, by a ground search team". According to the department's Facebook page, the ground search team was preparing to evacuate her for medical attention but she was expected to be ok. More details are to be released in this developing story

ORIGINAL POST

An intensive search is ongoing for a 7-year-old girl who went missing near Cathedral Rock about twenty miles west of Leavenworth on Sunday afternoon.

Inspector Christopher Whitsett with the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office says the girl was part of a large family group that was hiking in the area.

"They lost track of her, as happens sometimes in a large family group, and when they realized she was missing they searched for her for some time and then sent a member of the party out to get cell signal, because it's a good ways from cell signal up there, and they called for help."

The girl was reportedly last seen playing near the footbridge that spans the Cle Elum River near the Cathedral Rock Trailhead at around noon.

Whitsett says the family reported her missing at around 2 p.m. and a large search operation was then organized.

"We very quickly had drones, K9 and searchers, and 4x4's on the ground looking for her. We also have resources from numerous counties assisting us, as well as helicopters from both Spokane and King County that are staging out of the Cle Elum Airport."

The Washington State Search & Rescue Planning Unit is also assisting with the operation.

Whitsett says searchers have yet to find any clues as to the girl's whereabouts and added that the family is not from Kittitas County.

The public is being asked to stay out of the area of Cathedral Rock Trail while the search is being conducted.