Deputy helps rescue missing 5-year-old's teddy bear

WHITE COUNTY, IN (KTRK) -- When Indiana sheriff deputy Matthew White got the call to help a 5-year-old in need, he jumped on the opportunity to help.

The young boy's mother had called police when he noticed his teddy bear was missing. The family had stopped on the side of Interstate 65 hours before and believed the missing bear was still there.

"The bear was really important to them," Dep. White told WLFI-TV. "It was the mother's bear that she passed down to her son."

White was on the case, but he still thought it would be a long shot. He drove to the general area where the family told them they'd stopped, and he began his search.

"I put the car in park. Probably took one or two steps out of the vehicle and I saw the bear just lying on the side of the road," White said. "When you get a chance to make a huge positive impact on somebody, this kid will probably never forget this story."

The family, who lives hours away in Minnesota, is now eagerly awaiting the return of the teddy bear. White says he personally placed it in the mail early Thursday morning.