Missing Girl Found Safe With Use Of Gwinnett Police Helicopter: WATCH

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — After a search that included officers on the ground and in the sky, police said a "critically missing" 15-year-old Lawrenceville girl was safely located and returned home Wednesday.

A mother told Gwinnett County Police that her daughter disappeared around 11:45 a.m. from their Dunlin Way home, police said Thursday.

The mother said she had gotten into an argument with her daughter earlier that day, and about 30 minutes later when she went to check on the teenage girl, she saw her daughter was no longer in the home, police said.

Surveillance footage showed the teenager left home without shoes, police said.

Gwinnett County Police's Aviation Unit was asked to assist in locating the teenage girl, and after searching nearby neighborhoods, officers in the helicopter were able to locate her within minutes of arriving to the area, police said.

The officers in the helicopter were able to share the girl's location with officers on the ground, and Cpl. Christopher Hanna found the girl standing on the sidewalk, police said.

"The child was visibly upset and scared. Cpl. Hanna was able to calm the child down and safely get her home to her parents," police said in a news release.

Hanna's interaction with the teenage girl was captured in a 57-second video clip that was released by police Thursday. It shows officers speaking with the girl before she gets into a patrol car.

"Officers with the Gwinnett County Police Department receive training on dealing with people in crises. Cpl. Hanna utilized that training to resolve this situation in a professional and compassionate manner. This case highlights several of the units within the police department who all work together to provide public safety to the citizens of Gwinnett County," police said in the news release.