“I Got Him!” Police K9 Finds Missing Boy in Woods After Hours of Searching in the Dark

October 10, 2026

A determined bloodhound and her handler refused to give up on a missing child, searching through miles of thick brush and wooded terrain until they finally found him safe in the darkness.

Cpl. Carter with Beau / Prince George's County Police Department

The little boy had wandered away from his home in Prince George’s County, Maryland, prompting an urgent search involving more than 30 police officers, including three K9 teams.

As the hours passed, officers and detectives searched the neighborhood, moving behind homes and into heavily wooded areas. The team continued searching into the night, determined to bring the child home safely.

Then, Cpl. Jason Carter and his bloodhound partner, Beau, made the discovery everyone had been hoping for.

'I Got Him! I Got Him!'

Body camera footage captured the tense search from Carter’s perspective as he encouraged his four-legged partner to keep going.

The conditions were challenging. Carter and Beau had covered nearly three miles through heat, humidity and rough terrain, pushing through thick vegetation and thorny brush.

At one point, Carter explained just how difficult it was to spot the child.

“It was thick brush, thick thorns, dark at that point, and I didn’t see him until, you know, the corner of my eye is where I saw him,” he recalled. “A glimpse and a little murmur of a sound.”

He picked up the child as additional officers arrived to ensure he was safe.

Police confirmed that the child appeared unharmed.

A Partner Who Wouldn't Quit

For Carter, the reunion was an overwhelming moment of relief.

“Relief that they appeared unharmed, that they were happy to see me and to see all of us,” he said during a news conference.

Carter and Beau have been partners for about a year, but their bond was evident throughout the search. Despite the demanding conditions and exhaustion, Beau kept going until the mission was complete.

“She is second to none. She is literally my best friend,” Carter said. “It just shows that she is up for the task of going beyond the distance.”

Police Chief George Nader praised the dedication of the officers who worked tirelessly to find the child, noting how much the successful outcome meant to everyone involved.

Watch the bodycam footage of the rescue below: