VIDEO: Michigan State Police use heat detection equipment to spot missing 2-year-old

DEERFIELD TWP., Mich. - It only took Michigan State Police five minutes to locate a missing toddler that had wandered away from his rural home in northern Michigan. 

What had already been an hours-long search on the ground and in the dark turned into a swift rescue mission after police deployed a heat detection tool that managed to spot the missing kid after only a short time of searching.

Video of the search was shared online by state police, which revealed just how useful the technology can be in situations like what unfolded in Lapeer County Monday night. 

The search was called after a father reported his son, a 2-year-old with autism, missing at 9:30 p.m. He had awoken Monday night with the door open.

The family’s dog had wet fur and was found on the porch of the home, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) north of Detroit. A police dive team searched a pond behind the home, while tracking dogs scoured nearby woods and fields.

But no luck was found until the state police went to the skies in their search.

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"Trooper (inaudible), going to be a 2-year-old male, autistic, we're probably going on about two hours I would guess," said an officer during the beginning of MSP's Aviation Division search. 

After only a few minutes of looking, audio from the search team above said "I've got something I'd like you to check." On the screen is a small heat signature under a tree.

"It is directly east of the residence. There's one big field the residence and then a tree line and then it opens up into another field," said the aerial search team.

The video then shows patrols being guided by the team until a deputy is standing only a foot away from the heat signature. It appears conditions were incredibly dark at the time because the officers on the ground didn't realize where the boy was until they were next to him.

"Could be some water, could be some rock. Right there at your feet. Right there at your feet," said the aerial search team.

"We got him, he's alright."

The Associated Press conributed to this report