On Wednesday, two-year-old Peyton Myrick and his two-year-old friend Ashepoo, a black and white Australian shepherd, set out on an adventure in Clover, South Carolina, setting off a county-wide search that involved the use of a helicopter equipped with infrared technology.
The adventure started when Peyton’s grandfather took him out to the barn to go on a ride in the tractor to look at Christmas trees. Peyton’s grandfather Ernest Myrick went to air up the tractor’s tires, when he finished, Peyton and Ashepoo were nowhere to be found.
Ernest jumped on his tractor and drove along his property searching for the child and dog.
Soon, the search expanded. Deputies and K-9 units were called in. The news of the missing child hit Facebook and residents from all over the county showed up to help search for the missing pair.
As evening approached, more than 400 searchers were scouring the area.
One of the searchers noticed Ashepoo going back and forth from the barn. The searcher notified the rest of the search party. Peyton’s aunt ran a short distance from the barn to find little Peyton asleep on his coat.
The family believes Ashepoo was trying to alert the family of Peyton’s location.
“She stayed with him the entire time,” Peyton’s dad Richard Myrick told the Charlotte Observer. “It sounds Hollywood-esque. It sounds like a movie script.”
News of Peyton and Ashepoo’s adventure spread throughout the state. The Myrick’s say that Ashepoo is now the town’s most famous dog.
No doubt, Peyton and Ashepoo are good friends who will have many more adventures ahead.
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