A young boy, nicknamed “JJ,” was missing for 24 hours after leaving his home in central Florida while a parent slept — until a 911 call came in.
More than 500 volunteers joined law enforcement in the search for Joshua “JJ” Rowland, trekking deep into the woods and through buggy swamps after he disappeared from Brooksville the morning of Feb. 23 wearing a gray Batman shirt and gray pants, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.
Alongside searching for the 2-year-old on foot, authorities deployed drones, helicopters and used canines to track the toddler’s scent, the sheriff’s office said in several updates shared to Facebook.
But the blonde, curly-haired boy was still missing the early morning of Feb. 24.
Then, a former Marine, who volunteered in the search and is now being hailed as the “man of the year” by Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis, phoned 911.
“I found him!” Roy Link told a dispatcher about JJ in the 911 call shared by the sheriff’s office. In the background, the toddler is heard calling out for his mother.
Link found JJ unharmed and in the woods several miles north of his home after the boy spent the night outside, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Little JJ climbed onto him and didn’t want to let go,” Nienhuis said in a video with Link. “He was so excited to see him.”
Link said he prayed about 10 minutes before spotting JJ.
“The good news is…
