Here’s What It Took to Find Missing Egg Harbor Township Teenager Joel Medina
This past weekend, just about everyone in and around Egg Harbor Township followed the story of Joel Medina, the autistic teenager who went missing from his home Friday afternoon not too far from the old Shore Mall.
After an exhaustive search that lasted about 36 hours, authorities found the 17-year-old unharmed and he was reunited with his family.
Now, the Egg Harbor Township Police Department has released details about what it took to find Joel and how this story had a happy ending.
Needless to say, the amount of time and effort that went into this search was nothing short of massive and impressive.
Authorities simply said this: "Everyone involved had one objective: locate Joel and bring him home safely."
The Technology That Located Joel
According to the department, Joel was found through the coordinated use of aerial assets equipped with forward-looking infrared (FLIR) technology. Multiple Egg Harbor Township police officers, detectives, New Jersey State Police K9 teams, and FBI personnel navigated difficult terrain to reach and recover him safely.
He was then escorted out of that same terrain, described as "no easy task," and reunited with his family while being treated by Egg Harbor Township EMS.
Officials did not, however, release exactly where he was located.
Every Agency That Was Part of This Operation
The Egg Harbor Township Police Department thanked the following groups for their work in this case:
- Egg Harbor Township Police Department Patrol Division
- Egg Harbor Township Police Detectives Bureau
- Egg Harbor Township Police Communications
- Egg Harbor Township Police Department K9 Unit
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Atlantic County Office of Emergency Management
- Atlantic County Prosecutors Office
- Egg Harbor Township EMS
- New Jersey Office of Emergency Management
- Search and rescue teams from Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Camden, and Gloucester Counties
- New Jersey State Police K9 Units
- K9 Officers from Atlantic and Cape May Counties Sheriff’s Department
- New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit
- US Coast Guard Aviation
- New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit
- Atlantic County Dive Team
- New Jersey State Police Emergency Response Bureau
- AtlantiCare EMS
- Cape May County Mounted Patrol Unit
Officials concluded,
This situation highlights what coordinated effort and community support can accomplish. Assistance from the public, partner agencies, and volunteers was instrumental in bringing this to a safe conclusion. A special thank you to Joel’s school staff from the Atlantic County Special Services School for their support throughout.
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Gallery Credit: Chris Coleman
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Chris Coleman is a South Jersey native and has been a cornerstone of the Atlantic City radio market since 1998. He serves as Brand Manager for WPG Talk Radio 95.5 and afternoon on-air personality for Cat Country 107.3. A five-time President's Circle award winner and Townsquare Media's 2024 Content Creator of the Year, Chris covers news, events, and stories of interest across Southern New Jersey. Story tips: chris.coleman@townsquaremedia.com
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