9-year-old found barefoot in woods three days after vanishing, Tennessee officials say
A missing 9-year-old had no jacket or shoes when he was found in the Tennessee woods, officials say.
During the three days investigators say Jordan Gorman was away from his Nashville area home, overnight temperatures dipped into the 30s and 40s, National Weather Service data show.
The child was eventually spotted Tuesday near a creek, where he had built a shelter from a tarp and tree limbs, according to a photo from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Officials say he was found barefoot and wearing a T-shirt, news outlets reported.
“Cold and hungry, but otherwise in pretty good spirits,” the agency posted on Twitter. “Good to see you, Jordan!”
The boy’s biological father, Aaron Hatt, and the man’s wife, Katie, teared up when they heard the boy was found safe, the Nashville Tennessean reported.
“We’re just so happy that he’s back, that they found him,” Katie Hatt said, according to the newspaper.
Jordan, who was adopted by the Gorman family, disappeared Sunday from Joelton, an area in Cheatham County roughly 14 miles northwest of downtown Nashville, WKRN reported. Authorities say he ran from his home after an argument.
Officials on Sunday issued an “Endangered Child Alert,” later upgrading the notice to a “statewide AMBER Alert.” Crews had searched the woods near Jordan’s home and urged neighbors to check their properties for signs of the boy, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Jordan was found about three-quarters of a mile from his home, according to authorities. He was medically evaluated at TriStar Ashland City Medical Center, WKRN reported.
This story was originally published November 18, 2020 at 9:33 AM with the headline "9-year-old found barefoot in woods three days after vanishing, Tennessee officials say."
