Missing teen with autism rescued after more than 24 hours in woods
At 11:57 p.m. Saturday, drone pilots spotted Joel curled up next to a tree deep in the woods, where officials said the terrain was filled with animals, mud, downed trees and brush. The temperature had dropped to 35 degrees.
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Authorities found a missing 17-year-old boy with autism from Egg Harbor Township early Sunday after an extensive multiagency search that lasted more than a day, according to the FBI Newark.
Joel Medina went missing from his home on Friday, March 20, 2026, while wearing shorts and a T-shirt, officials said.
Egg Harbor Township police led the search, assisted by other agencies, while K-9 teams searched on the ground and drone teams scanned the area from above.
By Saturday, March 21, there was still no sign of Joel, and Egg Harbor Township police requested assistance from the FBI Newark field office’s Atlantic City Resident Agency.
At 11:57 p.m. Saturday, drone pilots spotted Joel curled up next to a tree deep in the woods, where officials said the terrain was filled with animals, mud, downed trees and brush. The temperature had dropped to 35 degrees.
Agents made contact with Joel at 12:29 a.m. Sunday and began what officials described as a painstaking trek out of the woods. He was reunited with his family and is now recovering at home, according to the FBI.
