NEWBERRY SPRINGS — Helen Sullivan knelt down in the soft desert dirt and pulled dog treats out of a plastic bag.
In this case, they were treats fit for a hero.
That's what Sullivan calls Susie — a small black mixed breed dog. Sullivan got to hug and pet Susie one more time Monday afternoon after discovering her the previous morning.
Sullivan said she was driving down Gasco Road near her home at 7 a.m. Sunday morning looking for her missing 2-year-old neighbor boy when she spotted Susie.
"I slowly drove down the middle (of a) long dirt road looking for something out of the ordinary and cautiously with locked doors looked around," Sullivan posted on her Facebook page. "About half way down I noticed a very cute black puppy about 30 feet away from the road. I stopped, put down the window and called out to the puppy.
"He wagged his tail but didn't move from his spot. Then I heard a faint cry. Next to the puppy sitting up was a 2-year-old boy. I jumped out of the car trying to be careful not to frighten him. Scooped him up and just hugged him tight. I had my husband call 911."
Sullivan had found Drayden Vieira, who had wandered about a mile from his parents' home just a mile from National Trails Highway.
"It's amazing," Sullivan said. "You want to have every story end like this. It's just incredible."
The boy's grandfather, Joe Vieira, said his son noticed Drayden was nowhere to be seen outside his home at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Barstow Station, deputies responded to a residence in the 39000 block of Utah Drive in Newberry Springs on Saturday. They said the child was last seen playing in his yard with the family pet and had been missing about two hours before the Sheriff's Department was notified.
Two helicopters, several search-and-rescue teams, five search dogs and deputies combed the area throughout the night, the Sheriff's Department said. The child was located Sunday morning walking next to National Trails Highway in good condition.
Sheriff's officials said deputies conducted an investigation into the child's living conditions and the circumstances leading up to his disappearance. Parents Roger Vieira and Jessica Blake were arrested and booked on suspicion of child endangerment. Two-year-old Drayden was transported to Barstow Community Hospital for a medical checkup before being released to county Child Family Services personnel.
Drayden's grandfather said the dog and his grandson are inseparable. He said the puppy follows the 2-year-old everywhere.
After finding the boy, Sullivan said she followed small footprints that led to a small hole a few yards away. Sullivan and Drayden's grandfather both believe Susie dug the hole and kept Drayden warm during the night.
Low temperatures were in the 50s on Saturday night.
Sullivan met up with Joe Vieira and Susie on Monday afternoon at the exact location where she found Drayden and Susie.
"She kept him toasty warm," Joe Vieira said. "As far as I know, the dog saved his life."
Sullivan agreed. She said when she picked up the boy, his body temperature seemed normal.
Both said Drayden and Susie also were in extreme danger because of sink holes, a nearby pond and wild animals in the area.
Sheriff's officials spent the night searching for the boy by ground and helicopter.
"He was exhausted. He was dressed in a camouflage shirt. He had sandy color hair and he had mud all over his face. He was nonverbal," Sullivan said of the boy.