CAMDEN COUNTY, N.C. (WAVY) — After more than 41 miles and 36 hours, a 16-year-old boy who was reported missing from Camden County was found safe Tuesday near Lake Drummond in the Great Dismal Swamp, deputies said.

Elijah Henderson was last seen on Monday at the Dismal Swamp State Park before he was found. Officials searched the area and WAVY’s Chopper 10 scoured the area to show the massive region they were searching.

Henderson left on foot from his residence on Mill Run Loop, and more than a day and 40 miles later, he was found near Lake Drummond, which straddles Chesapeake and Suffolk.

He and his family has some issues to resolve, but the important thing is that he was returned to his family — alive.  

“Our 16-year-old male subject that was missing has been found, and we are absolutely ecstatic,” said Camden County Sheriff’s Det. Margaret Durham.

Durham broke the news on WAVY-TV 10  that Henderson was found alive in the vicinity of Lake Drummond. Camden County Sheriff Kevin Jones said Henderson was first spotted Monday morning.

“They believe that when the park ranger confronted him the second time, he felt like, ‘Oh, no, I’m in trouble, so I’ve got to get out of here,'” Jones said.

Henderson would remain missing until 12:05 p.m. Tuesday when he was discovered at Lake Drummond. 

“I spoke with him briefly and he looked fine,” Jones said. “He looked just as good then as he did in the picture that he had looked healthy. It looked like nothing had ever happened. 

Henderson was brought out of the woods and reunited with his family. 

“He thanked me,” Jones said. “He was thanking his dad, thanking the friends, and neighbors of his dad, the group that they had formulated to go. I think he was kind of overwhelmed by all of the attention.”

Jones described Henderson’s mood as happy-go-lucky, and credited the 14 organizations for helping in the search. It was a caravan of vehicles leaving the welcome center after Henderson was found.  

“Absolutely, … we could not have done this alone,” Jones said.

Asked what he would do if Henderson was his son, Jones said he would shower him with love, then give him a piece of his mind.

“If he were my son, I would hug him. I would embrace him and tell him how much I loved him, that I’m glad he’s back, and then I would probably give him the worst tongue lashing he’s ever had,” Jones said, laughing.