GLACIER NATIONAL PARK — Young Naomi Pascal lost her favorite toy Teddy while hiking with her family on Hidden Lake Trail in Glacier National Park last October.
Teddy was no average bear, holding deep significance to Naomi as he was the first gift she received from her new family before being adopted from an Ethiopian orphanage in 2016.
Glacier National Park Ranger Tom Mazzarisi stumbled upon Teddy while out on patrol following a big snowstorm. Despite being weathered from the storm, Ranger Mazzarisi decided to hold on to Teddy and placed him on his patrol car dashboard, making Teddy his vehicle's unofficial mascot.
Fast forward to last week, a family friend of the Pascal’s happened to be hiking in Glacier National Park and noticed Teddy sitting on a patrol car dashboard. A few days later Teddy was express mailed to Jackson, Wyoming and back in Naomi’s loving arms where he belongs.
“It’s a special story, there’s a lot of connections there and it’s pretty serendipitous about how all these little things that could of gone one way or another, whether or not she would be able to get her bear back or not,” Mazzarisi said. “I was happy to keep Teddy company and I was happy to have him ride along with me for the last year.”
We will have the full story of Teddy’s amazing reunion during Tuesday’s 5:30 News.
