Casey Lynn Hathaway, 3, was playing outside at his great-grandmother’s house in North Carolina when he failed to return back inside with the other kids.
After 45 frantic minutes, Casey’s great-grandma called 911. By this point it was clear that Casey had gone missing outside — and the temperature was quickly dropping.
Hundreds of volunteers joined members of the FBI, NCIS and US Marine Corps in the tireless search to find little Casey. Hours passed and night fell, bringing bouts of heavy rain and wind.
Casey was somewhere out there, all alone, without any food or water.
Then came the tip that broke the case wide open. Someone reported hearing the sound of a child crying in the woods. It sounded like he was calling out for his mother.
Two days after Casey went missing, just before 9:30 p.m., Chocowinity EMS Cpt. Shane Grier ventured out about 50 yards into the woods where the voices were heard and found Casey, half a mile from where he disappeared. He was tangled up in the thick brush with bruises and scrapes on his body, but was otherwise in good health. Rescuers were stunned. “Even a trained professional would have difficulty in that environment,” Shane told WLOS.
Shane praised the community for their efforts and support and believes a higher power was at play. “Somebody looked after him. That was God at work.”
And in a surprising twist, it turns out Casey may not have been alone the whole time…
“He told us that his best friend the bear was with him to keep him safe.”
Source : https://www.littlethings.com/casey-hathaway-missing-boy-woods/