Okaloosa County, FL - Witnesses who spotted two young children in an emergency lane of Interstate 10 yesterday say two dogs with them were pushing the children back against the guardrail when they'd move towards the highway. The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office and Florida Highway Patrol were called to Mile Marker 44 near Holt around 9 a.m. Saturday after receiving multiple 911 calls about two young children near the highway. Five Good Samaritans driving on the interstate had stopped to check on the kids (both under the age of six) and the two Great Pyrenees/ Shepard mixes with them. Several reported seeing the two dogs standing between the kids and the highway, pushing them back when they tried to go forward. Deputies determined that the children had been playing in the yard of their home with other kids. They reportedly walked away from the foster Dad who had called for them to return and was unable to pursue them due to an ambulatory condition. The Dad had immediately sent his teenage kids to search for the pair while he retrieved his tractor and drove into the woods to locate them. After a thorough investigation of the situation it was determined the foster father had made a diligent effort to locate the children and provide for their welfare, so no criminal charges were pursued. The girl said she went off because she was trying to chase a rainbow.
