Thousands of children become missing every day in the United States.
Some get lost because they wander off while family members or strangers abduct others.
While most are found soon after they go missing, some remain lost for years.
Fortunately, the missing boy in this story did not become part of these terrifying statistics.
Four-year-old Parker was baking cupcakes with his dad Jason in their home in South Jersey.
While they were baking, Jason left Parker for a few minutes to use the bathroom.
When Jason returned to where his son was, Parker was gone, together with their family pet – a black Labrador named Toby.
Behind their home are the woods and a golf course.
When Jason realized Parker was not inside their home, he immediately began searching outside their house.
He searched for an hour alone before finally calling his wife, Vickey.
She told him to call the police.
“To me, it was a blink of an eye. When you’re in that panicked of a moment, time has no concept,” Jason told Channel 6 Action News.
“This is not something that happens at all. So, I had no idea where to even go because he has never run off,” mom Vickey said.
The police and neighbors searched the area surrounding the home.
“We didn’t want him to be out there all night because who knows what could happen,” said Trooper Ian Emmi.
Finally, their next-door neighbor Victoria heard Parker crying from somewhere in the woods.
Troopers ran into the woods and began looking for Parker.
Trooper Emmi’s body cam was on as they ran towards Parker and Toby, who were found about a quarter mile from their home.
“Originally, we saw the dog jumping around doing circles, so I figured he had to be close by if the dog was there,” Trooper Emmi said.
In the body cam video, you can see the trooper rushing to Parker and Toby.
You can also see the relief on Parker’s face when he’s finally found.
Vickey also caught up with Emmi and had her son Parker safely in her arms soon after.
Thankfully, Mom and son had a happy reunion.
A week later, Parker and his family visited the Williamstown police barracks to thank the people who rescued her son.
The family also updated the troopers about Parker’s shoes.
He lost his shoes when he was missing in the woods and was crying, “I want my shoes,” when the troopers found him.
When they visited the troopers, he was proudly wearing a new pair.
“I’m eternally grateful,” said Vickey about the situation.
Jason and Vickey told Channel 6 Action News that they upgraded their home security features, including putting in a door alarm that goes off when the door opens.
We are so grateful that this story about a missing boy has a happy ending!
Fortunately, the troopers and his parents worked together to find Parker in just a short time and he came home safe and sound!
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