10-Year-Old Girl Found Shivering Near Mother Who Froze To Death In Bear-Infested Woods

A 10-year-old girl was found with severe frostbite, clinging to the body of her mother who reportedly froze to death. The duo was found inside a bear-infested forest in Russia.

The child was found after a massive party of 80 volunteers, police sniffer dogs, drones and a helicopter went searching for them in the Vladimir region in Russia, reported Yahoo News Australia.

The child was immediately airlifted and taken to a hospital. "The life and health of the child are not currently in danger," a Russian Investigative Committee was quoted by the news outlet.

Reports quoting local media identified the girl as Polina and her mother is Olga Davydova, 36, from the town of Gus-Khrustalny. Polina is said to have spent the entire night near the dead body of her mother.

Officers also found a pile of clothing belonging to the girl and the woman in the forest. Authorities said they will investigate why the woman and the girl ditched the clothing in this extreme climate.

"The search was serious, we had just a few hours. Everyone understood that they needed to search faster. There was frost, freezing temperatures. We feared for the child's life," said a member of the search team.

An investigation has been opened into the incident. However, it is unclear why the woman went walking in the forest where temperatures can drop to -7C this time of year.

Meanwhile, the deceased woman is said to have been distraught after the death of her mother, an ambulance paramedic. Svetlana Pankova, 58, died recently after contracting COVID-19.

Pankova was also the primary guardian of the child. Now that both her mother and grandmother are dead, Paulina has no legal guardian. "We will decide later on the issue of establishing guardianship for the girl," a senior local official was quoted by the news outlet.

Last year, an 18-year-old man froze to death inside a car in Russia's notoriously cold Yakutia region. His friend, who was with him inside the vehicle, managed to survive. Reports said the duo were on their way from Yakutsk to their hometown of Magadan when their car broke down. The temperature outside was -50 degrees Celcius. Reports said the duo lost their way from the main road, also known as 'Road Of Bones', and ended up in an isolated area.