It was like a scene out of a thrilling drama. During a police press conference meant to alert the public about her missing child, a Florida mom discovered her son was alive.
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The Son Had Been Missing for Nearly 48 Hours
As reported by PEOPLE, Benjamin Adcock had been missing for nearly two days. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and mild autism and was prone to wandering.
His worried mother, Olga Adcock, was standing beside Sheriff Robert A. Hardwick of the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office for a televised press conference on Sep. 15.
As Hardwick described Benjamin to viewers, a woman off-camera had news to share.
"[Benjamin] is one of five [children]; he is the oldest of the siblings. So for him to actually be..." he began. He then trailed off. He then asked, "I'm sorry?"
"They found him," the woman in the audience said.
"Oh my goodness gracious. Okay," replied Hardwick. He then embraced Olga.
The mother was overjoyed. "Praise the Lord on my soul," Olga said as she hugged Hardwick. "Wow. There is light at the end of the tunnel. God is good. God is good."
Afterward, Hardwick and Olga moved away to speak privately. The microphone picked up their conversation, and the officer told the mother they would help her keep track of Benjamin and that the force would pay for it.
"It makes you want to cry, for goodness sakes, that's the best outcome that could actually happen right now, is to have a mom next to you right now that says, 'God is good,' right?" Hardwick later said in a statement. "It doesn't get any better than that."
A Good Samaritan Found Benjamin
The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office enlisted the help of multiple law enforcement agencies and volunteers to locate Benjamin. They also used drones, helicopters, and a K9 team.
But despite these extensive efforts, it was a good Samaritan who recognized Benjamin's picture from a social media alert and helped bring him home.
"This is a citizen, paying attention, not afraid to call the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, and bringing a 16-year-old boy home to his mom, Olga," Hardwick said.
