Egg Harbor Township police body-worn camera footage shows the moment police made contact with missing teen, Joel Medina.
"I can't find my mom and dad," Joel Medina told police just after midnight Sunday.
"We're going to find them for you, bud," one officer says.
"We know them. We know," another assures him. "We talked to them."
In fact, most of Egg Harbor Township and the surrounding area knew Joel was missing.
Rescue parties from Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Gloucester counties had joined in the hunt that began late Friday afternoon, when the 17-year-old first was reported missing.
The U.S. Coast Guard and State Police came too. There were drones in the air, and K-9 teams on the ground.
The community was worried for the missing boy last seen in shorts, a T-shirt and sneakers before walking away from his home near a wooded area off West Jersey Avenue in the township.
Joel is autistic and functions at a much younger age, making it even more critical to find him quickly as the weather got cold and rainy, and the nearby wooded terrain remained daunting.
The offers for help in the search came from all over, including worried residents.
Police Chief Fred Spano said he hated turning people away, but the search of the woods was methodical, and included infrared technology trying to zero in on one person. Adding unknown parties to the mix would just confuse things.
Instead, he tasked those who offered to see if Joel was spotted on any cameras, or to check in with local businesses, in case he had wandered out of the woods.
But just before midnight Sunday, pilots from the FBI's Critical Incident Response Group plane spotted Joel curled up next to a tree.
Joel Medina can be seen in a still from video posted by the FBI Newark office, whose pilots spotted him just before midnight Sunday.Officers then made their way to him.
The rest was captured on body-worn cameras from Egg Harbor Township Detective Sgts. Brett Fair and Richard Vogt.
The group that gets to him works to make sure he's warm, calm and not injured.
They take off their jackets to give to him. They check him for injuries.
Then, they assure him, they will get him to his parents.
"I need to go home to see them," Joel tells the officers.
"We're gonna get you to Mom and Dad, OK?" he's told.
His adventure isn't quite yet over, though.
The group now has to get him back about a mile, through the heavy brush in the dark.
They constantly check on him throughout the hour-long trek.
"Are you OK?" an officer asks about 45 minutes in.
"I'm OK," he responds.
Then, a streetlight is spotted.
Less than 10 minutes later, lights from the vehicles of those waiting for Joel's arrival can be seen.
But it's not the lights that draw Joel's attention.
"Mom and Dad?" he asks tentatively, as he spots his parents.
"Mom. Dad," he repeats as he gets closer. "Mom. Dad."
The reunion is quick as he melts into his parents' arms.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," his mother can be heard saying.
"There wasn't just one savior," Spano told BreakingAC. "It was really a group effort. Everyone came together."
Joel was checked out and mainly was dehydrated and cold, with a few scrapes.
He now is home safe with his family, who posted a thank you to Egg Harbor Township police on Facebook.
"What stood out most was not only the work you did, but the humanity you showed… treating our family with patience, reassurance, and genuine care while we faced overwhelming uncertainty," the post states. "Knowing that so many people were working tirelessly to help bring Joel home gave us strength when we felt helpless. Your presence brought comfort during long and emotional hours, and we will never forget the effort, coordination, and heart that each officer contributed. You gave us hope, support, and reassurance when we needed it most."
They gave special thanks to Capt. Michael Finnerty "for being our calm during the storm."
