Off The Record
A 3-Year-Old Boy Went Missing For Days, But When A Black Bear Showed Up Everything Changed
A 3-year-old boy was lost for 3 days alone in the North Carolina woods.
Casey Hathaway was the 3-year-old boy who disappeared from his grandma’s house while playing with two other children. When they found him, he was in incredibly good condition considering the fact that he was outside on a bad weather, including heavy rain and winds, as well as temperatures dipping low.
“He didn’t say how he was able to survive and all that. He did say that he had a friend in the woods that was a bear that was with him,” Craven County Sheriff Chip Hughes told reporters. “This kid was strong, he was meant to survive. … He’s got a story to tell.”
In a Facebook post that has since been deleted, Breanna Hathaway, Casey’s aunt, wrote:
“He said he hung out with a bear for two days. God sent him a friend to keep him safe. God is good God. Miracles do happen… We appreciate the thoughts but we do want to recognize that everyone wants to get Casey a stuff little bear and although we absolutely love that remember that he can only home so many.”
Search teams were sent out to circle all the areas in an attempt to find the missing boy. He was finally found after a woman walking her dog heard a boy shouting and crying for his mother in the woods.
Casey’s grandma set up a GoFundMe page “at the public’s request” this weekend. The fundraiser is called “Casey and the Bear.”
The fundraiser’s description reads:
“Casey is the most amazing 3 year I have ever met. This little one was lost in the woods for days in the freezing temperatures, rain, dark nights and wind. He told us that his best friend the bear was with him to help keep him safe. Thanks to God’s mercy he came home to us alive and well. His parents searched diligently minute after minute of every hour/day without stopping.
Our supportive followers of this story has asked for a GoFundMe page be created for the family. This is reason for setting up the page. I am Casey’s paternal grandmother aka Memaw to him. I am Casey’s dad’s mom. So many of the public followers have asked for a GoFundMe for Casey and his family. I WANT TO MAKE THIS PERFECTLY CLEAR THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FROM FAMILY. THIS HORRIFIC EVENT WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR PERSONAL GAIN. We as the family dont EXPECT donations. So on the behalf of the PUBLIC’S request only here it is.”
Experts believe that the bear that Casey spoke of was a black bear since it’s the only species of bear found in that area. As of 2012 there were about 17,000 black bears in the state, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Black bears are unlikely to attack humans, as their diet consists of berries, nuts, and small animals.
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