When a young girl vanishes from an upstate New York state park authorities assemble a massive search for her. After an ominous note shows up in her family’s mailbox, the hunt for a predator kicks into high gear and a heroic rescue unfolds in the nick of time.To hear more about Charlotte’s story, listen to Sisterhood of the Survivors Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.View source material and photos for this episode at: parkpredators.com/the-loop Park Predators is an audiochuck production. Connect with us on social media:Instagram: @parkpredators | @audiochuckTwitter: @ParkPredators | @audiochuckFacebook: /ParkPredators | /audiochuckllcTikTok: @audiochuck
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Hi, park enthusiasts. I'm your host, Delia D'Ambra, and the story I'm going to tell you about today is one that quite literally brought the state of New York and maybe even the entire world to a standstill in the fall of 2023. It felt like every update that showed up on social media about this case caused parents and guardians of children to take pause and worry. I know I did.
It happened in Moreau Lake State Park in New York, which is located about 45 minutes north of the city of Albany. Based on the pictures and information on its website, this recreational space is known for being easily accessible and family-friendly. You can hike, boat, and bike, among many other activities, including ice fishing in the wintertime.
There are also several campgrounds that are known for being quiet, peaceful, and secluded from the more active attractions in the park. There's a preserve called Big Bend Preserve, and it encompasses 860 acres next to the Hudson River. It's home to open forest and wetlands that has six miles of trails winding through it. Unfortunately, over time, the preserve has had invasive species permeated.
so so
Around 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 30th, 2023, a group of children staying at Moreau Lake State Park in New York were riding their bikes in a wooded campground area known as Loop A when some of them decided to call it quits for the day.
I imagine since it was getting close to dinner time, the ones that wanted to go figured it was probably best to meet up with their families and find out what was for dinner or what else was happening that evening. Nine-year-old Charlotte had her own idea, though. She wanted to take just one more ride around Lu Bay. But the thing was, her family had a rule.
You could only ride your bike if you had a buddy. But being a kid, Charlotte figured just this once probably wouldn't hurt. So she tore off on her bicycle to make that final lap. About 15 minutes later, her mother, Tricia, returned to the family's campsite after taking one of Charlotte's younger siblings to a bathroom facility nearby.
And she did a quick head count of all the kids in their family and their friends' families. And that's when she noticed Charlotte wasn't among them. Now, this felt strange to Tricia. So naturally, she and the other people camping with them started to look around for Charlotte.
Even folks who weren't camping in the family's friend group, but who were busy preparing their own dinners at nearby sites, stopped what they were doing and started walking around and yelling Charlotte's name. After a little while of doing this and getting no response, the group decided to widen their search.
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