Volunteer finds a missing two-year-old boy in the woods one day after he wandered from his Florida home

A missing two-year-old boy has been found in the woods more than 24 hours after he went missing from the backyard of his family’s Florida home.

Joshua ‘JJ’ Rowland was photographed barefoot and brushed but smiling in the arms of a volunteer who discovered him about half a mile north of his home in Brooksville, near Tampa.

He was last seen around 10 a.m. Thursday morning playing with dogs in his garden while his mother slept inside.

More than 500 volunteers showed up Friday morning to help nearly 100 law enforcement officials in the search, which used all-terrain vehicles, infrared cameras, horses and helicopters.

Rowland was found by Roy Link, a former Marine and one of the volunteers, who said that after spending the night alone, the boy was so scared he wouldn’t let go.

Another photo of Rowland shared by his father moments after his discovery shows him on the lap of a tearful woman. Scattered all over his body were scratches and what appeared to be nettle bites.

Rowland was last seen around 10 a.m. Thursday morning playing with dogs in his garden while his mother slept inside.

‘I was hoping and praying for a miracle. I certainly wasn’t expecting one, but I think a lot of people were praying and prayer works,” Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis said.

Link told the Sheriff that he too had said a prayer just ten minutes before finding the boy.

Another photo of Rowland shared by his father moments after his discovery shows him on the lap of a tearful woman. “He is home safe, thank God,” she wrote.

The boy was still smiling, but scattered all over his body were scratches and what appeared to be nettle bites.

The search was halted overnight while police used infrared cameras to search the area, but nothing significant was found, the Hernando County Sheriff said Friday morning.

“He’ll definitely have something to tell his kids and grandkids and I’m sure Mom and Dad will be keeping a closer eye on him going forward,” the sheriff said.

“We had no idea what happened to him,” he added. Rowland’s mother told officers that she and the boy had settled down for a nap around 9:30 a.m. and when she woke up, he was gone.

She said she spent about an hour looking for him before alerting authorities. On Friday night, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a statewide Missing Child Alert.

The alert stated that the boy was wearing a Batman T-shirt and gray pajama pants, the same clothes he was found in.

‘I was hoping and praying for a miracle. I certainly wasn’t expecting one, but I think a lot of people were praying and prayer works,” Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis said.

Nearly 100 law enforcement officers were involved in the search, which saw the use of all-terrain vehicles, infrared cameras, horses and helicopters.

A renewed search effort began as the sun rose Friday morning.

He was found just south of Parrott Middle School, about a half mile north of where he was last seen in the area of ​​Yontz Road and Cheever road, the sheriff’s office said.

Initially, on Thursday afternoon, people were asked to register their personal property, including houses and cars.

“We ask everyone who lives in this general area to get off their property, look in the bushes, look at cars that are unlocked … to find this little guy,” said Denise Maloney, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s County Sheriff’s Office. Hernando. Office said at the time.

The renewed search effort began as the sun rose Friday morning. The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office issued a notice around 10 a.m. saying it had a large number of volunteers and didn’t need more.

Rowlands’ aunt and father were asking for help finding the boy. Tonya Lindblade, his aunt, posted on Facebook Monday night, saying: “We are concerned that sick people are still frantically looking for him and thank you so much for all the prayers and people looking.” I hope he is safe and comes home soon.

Her father shared the positive news on Friday afternoon: ‘Dealing with a lot but it meant the world to everyone to reach my baby. Amen.’