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Dramatic video shows moment police find crying 4-year-old boy lost in woods

Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY
·1 min read

Dramatic new police body-camera footage shows the moment state troopers in New Jersey found a 4-year-old boy lost in the woods.

The shaky video posted Thursday begins with the sound of a dog barking and a trooper running toward the boy off in the distance. Another trooper shouts: "We're here, buddy! I gotcha!"

The boy sobs as the trooper picks him up and then cries: "I lost my shoes!"

Another one assures him he's OK and they'll find his shoes. As the rescue was happening, the boy's dog exuberantly ran around and accompanied the troopers and the boy back toward home.

New Jersey State Police said on Twitter that the boy and the dog wandered away from their home in Buena Vista Township.

Witness state troopers rescue a 4-year-old who wandered too far into the woods
Witness state troopers rescue a 4-year-old who wandered too far into the woods

Police said the boy was recovered the same day he was reported missing from his home, but would not respond to additional requests for information, including how long the child was missing.

Social media lit up with delighted comments about the dramatic footage, and the loyal dog.

"That dog barked to lead them to him," one Facebook commenter wrote. "He saved his life. I bet he never left him for a second."

Another suggested that someone should buy the boy some new shoes "and get that dog a big fat dog bone."

"Maybe a years worth????" they wrote.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video shows moment New Jersey police find 4-year-old boy lost in woods