On Tuesday, Jan. 4 my heart sunk when I received a call from my husband Blaine.

Our 4-year-old son Brian had gone missing in the woods near our house. With our bloodhound “Red” by his side, Brian had wandered away from the house.

Our property alone is four acres and is surrounded by more acres, winding woods, deep ravines, bayous and hunting land.

When I received the call, my husband had already been looking for Brian for 20 minutes — later he told me it was longer, but he didn’t want to scare me.

Asking me what he should do, my response was, “call the sheriff’s department!”

I got home to Kingston as fast as I could, with sheriff patrol cars speeding past me with sirens blaring.

The speed in which others responded was overwhelming.

Within minutes, sheriff’s deputies were pulling into our driveway.

The search was on. More help constantly arrived, and everyone put forth all effort to locate Brian.

The search and rescue team was about to be moved into location, helicopters about to take flight and others still on their way.

After being missing for approximately an hour and a half, Brian and Red were found.

With a few scratches, a few briars, scuffed up John Deere boots and a little sweat, my sweet baby came out of the woods with Red still by his side.

Officers in his path said, “They found each other.”

Being asked later if he was lost, Brian’s answer seemed firm but with a slight tremble in his throat.

“I wasn’t lost. I knew where the house was, but Red was lost. I was trying to help Red home.”

My husband and I want to thank the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, volunteers, neighbors and everyone else that took time to help or even made arrangements to come our way.

Thank you to all of you that prayed for his safe return. God bless you!

Susan Burgess

Adams County resident