Newborn baby found alive in North Carolina trash can; police searching for mother

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Police in North Carolina are looking for answers after a newborn baby boy was discovered alive in a Wilmington trash can.

According to WWAY, a woman was taking her dog for a walk about 5 p.m. Thursday when she heard the sound of a baby crying in a trash can outside a church on Fairview Drive. She looked inside to find a newborn in a garbage bag, WECT reported.

Witness Tamara Austin, who lives in an apartment complex across the street from the church, told the news outlets that she heard the woman calling for help.

"She was on the phone with 911, and the baby still had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck," Austin told WWAY.

Austin moved the cord and cleared the infant's airways, WWAY reported. The women then comforted the baby until emergency crews arrived and rushed the boy to a nearby hospital.

Later Thursday, the newborn was "healthy and doing well," Wilmington police tweeted.

Investigators are trying to identify and locate the child's mother. If you have information about the case, call Wilmington police at 910-343-3609 or submit a tip anonymously via Tip708.com.

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Cox Media Group