Joel Medina disappeared on March 20
Credit: Egg Harbor Township Police Department; FBI
NEED TO KNOW
- The Egg Harbor Township (N.J.) Police announced that Joel Medina, a teen with autism, ran away from home on March 20
- Authorities later found Joel found safe in the woods in the early morning hours of March 22
- The FBI released video footage that showed agents finding and rescuing Joel
A New Jersey teen with autism was found and rescued by authorities in a wooded area amid frigid conditions after a search that lasted almost 36 hours.
Joel Medina, 17, ran away from home in the area of 4th Avenue behind the Shore Mall off of West Jersey, the Egg Harbor Township Police Department said on March 20.
An exhaustive search followed involving multiple agencies along with drones, police dogs and helicopters, the department said, but they were unsuccessful.
The hunt for Joel continued on March 21 as authorities canvassed thick woods. However, there was still no sighting of the teen.
Then, in the early morning hours of March 22, searchers found Joel safe thanks to a breakthrough with infrared technology.
Law enforcement “navigated difficult terrain to safely reach and recover him,” the Egg Harbor Township Police said.
“He was escorted out of the same terrain, which came with many challenges and reunited with family as he was treated by Egg Harbor Township EMS,” the department continued.
Footage shared by the FBI days after the rescue detailed how they successfully located Joel.
Bureau officials said that pilots spotted Joel curled up next to a tree in the woods as the temperature dropped to 35 degrees in the late evening of March 21.
Shortly after, “agents made contact with Joel and began the painstaking trek back out of the cold woods,” the FBI said in its video.
“This successful outcome was the result of an extraordinary, unified effort at every level—community-wide, county-wide, state-wide, and federal,” Egg Harbor police said. “All involved shared one mission and one goal: to locate Joel safe, sound and reunite him with his family.”
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Last week, as thanks, Joel’s family provided lunch for the police department.
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