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Jacksonville 9-year-old found safe after intensive search

A Jacksonville 9-year-old was found hiding at her grandmother's house after an intensive search in a Northside neighborhood.

Officers began searching for Camille Corbett early Friday.

Her father Abraham Corbett said security video showed her leaving home around 5 a.m. after getting in trouble the night before.

He said he came home from work and she wasn’t there.

Her disappearance sparked a missing child alert and an intensive search by Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department in the area of Prospect Street and 8th Avenue near the RIbault River.

The sheriff’s office deployed its dive team and several boats. It also called on a private company to search for Camille with drones and flew its helicopter for several hours.

Sixty JFRD firefighters joined officers in going door to door, handing out fliers and searching abandoned homes in the neighborhood.

JSO announced Camille was found just after 2:30 a.m. Saturday.

Her father said family members found her hiding at her grandmother’s house up the road. He said she climbed in through a doggy door and hid under a bed.

"It was just so many emotions. I mean I was just very happy. And most of all I was just overwhelmed with, I just had so much help,” Abraham Corbett said.

Abraham Corbett said some of his first words to his daughter were "I love you."

"I said, 'Baby, you know I love you,' she said, 'yeah I know,' I said, 'Do you know how many people was looking for you?'” he said. “Probably a half a million people looking for you girl. You know that many people love you?”

He said the amount of support during the search for his daughter was amazing. Many neighbors volunteered to help search, and went door-to-door with fliers.

"From law enforcement, the news, the community, volunteers. I was just amazed,” he said. “As I was looking around, I’m driving around, I’m walking up to houses and I’m looking down the street and I’m looking at people knocking on doors, looking, searching, asking questions, passing fliers out.”

He said he plans to walk through the neighborhood and personally thank those who helped, and talk to his daughter about how much of a response her running away triggered.

He said he also hopes other parents talk to their children.

"Appreciate the time you spend with your family. Come up with little plans, scenarios like, 'Hey what if this happened, or that happened.' You know? You just can’t be too careful," he said.