Twelve-year-old Sophia Michnick, like many other Capitals fans, made her way into downtown DC with her family to watch the Capitals Championship parade on Tuesday. Her Dad and brother wanted to stake out space at the rally, while Sophia stopped along the parade route, wanting to watch the Capitals pass by on the buses.
Disaster almost struck when Michnick couldn’t reunite with her family, due to poor cell service, and the sheer volume of people making it impossible to find them. She was freaking out, and in tears, but luckily Lt. Scott Brecht and Detective Robert Freeman of the U.S. Park Police found her and took her to a safe place…
Right next to the Stanley Cup.
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Yesterday, Sophia Michnick got lost at the Caps Parade and ended up getting the best possible view! This preteen was in tears and totally freaked out, until a couple of MPD officers stepped in and escorted her to the Cup. (Photo Courtesy of @BruceLeshan) #MPD #HeretoHelp pic.twitter.com/toCX2a2hTw
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) June 13, 2018
Bruce Leshan, a reporter at WUSA9, spoke to Michnick about her experience, and how she finally found her way back to her Dad and brother.
“I started crying because I was really scared of not finding them,” Michnick said. “I thought I was never going to be able to find my Dad because there was so many people. I was trying to slide through people, but it was even hard trying to walk.”
That was when Lt. Scott Brecht and Detective Robert Freeman stepped in to assist, and turned the day into the best one ever for Michnick.
“I remember when I saw the Stanley Cup for the first time, I was so excited,” Michnick said, of being taken to the trophy. When Leshan asked how close she got, she replied, “Really close.”
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin can be seen in the background of Michnick’s photograph, but she didn’t get the opportunity to speak to any of the players.
“I was scared,” she said. “I wish I could go back in time and high five the players, because I was looking at them. I wish I’d said something. I could have high fived so many of them.”
Michnick’s Dad, who was worried, alerted another officer that she was missing. They got on the radio and reunited the family, at the players’ VIP tent.
“”Thank you so much,” Michnick said to the officers that assisted them. “You really helped me. If not for you I would have been really upset.
Headline photo: @BruceLeshan
