Family of 3-year-old rescued in North Carolina say bear kept him safe

The family of a 3-year-old boy who went missing last week said that a bear supposedly helped the toddler while he was lost. 

Craven County, North Carolina, Sheriff Chip Hughes told USA Today that Casey Hathaway disappeared last Tuesday after playing in his grandmother’s yard in Ernul, N.C. 

{mosads}Hathaway was missing for multiple days before being found calling for his mother last Thursday. He was reportedly found in good health about a quarter of a mile away from his grandmother’s yard and 40 to 50 yards deep into the woods. 

USA Today noted that rescuers traversed through almost waist-deep water in order to reach the toddler. Breanna Hathaway, the child’s aunt, shared in a now-private Facebook post that Casey “hung out with a bear for two days” while he was missing. 

“God sent him a friend to keep him safe,” she added, according to the newspaper. 

Hughes told USA Today that Casey’s mother provided the same account to authorities. He added that bears are common in the region, but that the report was probably more “cute” than truthful. 

“There is currently no evidence or information that indicates criminal activity in this case but the investigation is ongoing,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post on Sunday. 

Hathaway’s post was accompanied by an image of Casey and a bear, as well as a Bible verse from Matthew 18. 

“This kid was strong, he was meant to survive. … He’s got a story to tell,” Hughes told TV station WCTI.