Boy, 2, found in area creek

A 2-year-old boy was hospitalized Wednesday after being submerged in a creek near his family's home in the Bigwater housing addition west of Pillager.

Blair Hafften was found by his grandfather shortly after 5 p.m. in about 18 inches of water in Seven Mile Creek, Cass County Sheriff Randy Fisher said Thursday. Hafften was initially airlifted by North Air Care to St. Cloud Hospital, then believed transferred to a Twin Cities hospital. Which Twin Cities hospital Hafften was transferred to and information on his condition were unavailable Thursday afternoon.

Fisher said Hafften was outside his home with his mother when he walked away.

"His mom said she was doing yardwork when suddenly she noticed he wasn't around," Fisher said.

Pillager Fire Chief Randy Lee said emergency personnel were initially called out for a missing child and Hafften's grandfather found him in the water just as emergency personnel arrived. He described the area where Hafften was found as a swampy backwater off Seven Mile Creek.

Lee said firefighters performed CPR until North Ambulance and North Air Care arrived.