Missing 2-year-old boy found safe

Missing 2-year-old boy found safe

TONIGHT..

LITTLE JESSEYOUNG..

SPENDING 26HOURS IN THE SALINA WOODS..ALONE.THESE ARE PICTURES OF THELITTLE GUY... RIGHT AFTER HEWAS FOUND BY VOLUNTEERS.

ANDTHEN REUNITED WITH HISMOTHER..

AND ENJOYING ASNACK.

WE'RE SURE HE WASPRETTY HUNGRY AFTER HISADVENTURE.WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGETONIGHT OF THE TREMENDOUSEFFORT AND TEAMWORK THATWENT INTO FINDING JESSE.

OURASHLEY WHEELER AND KATIEKELEHER BOTH IN SALINATONIGHT.WE BEGIN WITH ASHLEYWHEELER... WHO SAYS CREWSFOUND THE BOY... MORE THANTWO MILES FROM HIS HOME..SHE TELLS US WHAT IT WASLIKE..

WHEN THOSE SEARCHERSREALIZED JESSE WAS FOUND.JESSE YOUNG WAS FINALLYFOUND MORE THAN 2 MILESFROM HIS HOME BY SHANE ANDNATHAN BEST..

A FATHER ANDSON ON HORSEBACK WHO WHEREVOLUNTEERING.HE HAD NOTHING ON BUT ADIAPER..

AND ONE SHOE.

RodHowell/Mayes CountySheriff's Office: "He lookedoutstanding.

I'm justfloored honestly that it'sbeen that long, he's thatyoung, and he still has alittle smile on his face.He's all scratched upobviously, and looks likehe's been out in the woodsfor a while, but he's atough little guy." MAJOR RODHOWELL WITH THE MAYES COUNTYSHERIFF'S OFFICE SAID THEYWEREBECOMING DISCOURAGED..

WITHJESSEE MISSING MORE THAN ADAY..

AFTER WALKING AWAYFROM HOME A DIFFICULT SEARCHAND RESCUE THROUGH ROUGHTERRAIN..

BUT THE OUTCOME..A MASSIVE RELIEF.The TWO-YEAR-OLD BOY..

SAFEAND IN HIS FAMILY'S ARMSONCE AGAIN.

VOLUNTEER: "Iknow that family is happy.They were, they finallybroke down and realized thattheir baby was safe andthat's all they needed know.HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE SEARCHedOVER THE 26 HOUR PERIOD..INCLUDING MULTIPLE AGENCIESAND PEOPLE FROM THECOMMUNITY..

JUST WANTING TOVOLUNTEER AND BE THERE FORTHE FAMILY.

Volunteer: Beingcompletely honest, I wasstarting to lose hope.

Iwas trying to keep itbecause you have to keep thefaith but it was gettingrough.

That's 26 hours, andhe's a 2 year old baby andwe've seen how rough thisterrain is.

But it was bythe grace of God that babycame home safe.THAT WAS ASHLEY WHEELERREPORTING.

THE SHERIFF'SOFFICE AND THE BOY'S FAMILYSAY THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEENA HAPPY ENDING..

WITHOUTTHAT MASSIVE OUTPOURING OFCOMMUNITY SUPPORT.WE'RE SHOWING YOU THESEPHOTOS OF JESSE AGAINTONIGHT..

CUDDLED AGAINSTHIS MOTHER..THE PAIRREUNITED AFTER SPENDING ATERRIFYING FULL DAY APART.TWO WORKS FOR YOU'S KATIEKELEHER TELLS US THE FAMILYUNDOUBTEDLY RELIEVED IN THEWAY THIS ORDEAL ENDED.KATIE..

HOW ARE THEY ALLDOING TONIGHT?WE SPOKE TO JESSE'S UNCLEWHO SAYS THIS IS A MIRACLE.HE SAYS HE JUMPED ON AFOUR-WHEELER AS SOON AS HEHEARD JESSE WAS FOUND.

ANDGAVE HIM A HUGE HUG.RELIEVED THE SEARCH HAD AHAPPY ENDING.PICTURES SHOW JESSE WRAPPEDUP IN A BLANKET, EATING ASNACK AND BEING CUDDLED BYHIS MOM.

HAPPINESS ANDRELIEF AFTER GOING THROUGH APARENT'S WORST NIGHTMARE.JESSE'S UNCLE, STEVE SMITH,SAYS HE DOESN'T KNOW WHYJESSE WALKED OFF - HE'S JUSTTHANKFUL HE'S HOME.STEVE SMITH, JESSE'S UNCLE"It's definitely the worstthing that we've beenthrough and I sure hopenobody else has to gothrough this.

But it endedwell.SMITH SAYS JESSE WAS QUIETFOR ABOUT THE FIRST MINUTEAFTER HE WAS FOUND.

BUT THENWAS JABBERING AWAY.FINDING IT COOL HE GOT ARIDE IN A POLICE CAR.SMITH SAYS THE FAMILY ISTHANKFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY'SHELP IN THIS SEARCH.

ANDJESSE WOULDN'T HAVE BEENFOUND WITHOUT THEM.

LIVE INMAYES COUNTY, KATIE KELEHER,2 WORKS FOR YOU