BUCKINGHAM, Fla. — A 79-year-old man who went missing in Buckingham in January was reunited with the K9 that found him after spending a frigid night in the Buckingham Preserve.
Fox 4's Bella Line was there for the special reunion:
Joceli Coutinho disappeared in the Buckingham Preserve, prompting a nearly 24-hour search by the Lee County Sheriff's Office. For his son Everton, the wait was agonizing.
"That was probably the hardest nights that we've had in my entire life," Everton said.
Everton he got a text from his sister saying they found his dad, and he ran straight to deputies.
"I didn't know whether he was alive or dead, so he told me, like, 'Look, your dad's alive. He's well, he's conscious. He's very strong,' and that's when I think I just like, it was such a relief," Everton said.
The successful rescue was thanks to K9 Remy, a bloodhound with the Lee County Sheriff's Office. On Thursday, Joceli was reunited with Remy for the first time since that day.
"It's a big dog," Joceli said in Portuguese as Remy showed him affection, licking his hand. The love was returned, with the family creating signs and giving him lots of pets.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said this story demonstrates the resources and tools available to help bring people home safely.
"It's a huge win, not only for us, because we saved a life, but to know that the technology we have in place, the proactive things that we do to make sure we're ready for anything that comes our way, was successful," Marceno said.
The emotional reunion highlighted the bond between the rescued man and his four-legged hero, with Everton expressing his gratitude to the search teams and Remy.
"Thank you for not giving up on my dad. You know, thank you for doing everything possible to find my dad," Everton said.
Previous reporting:
WATCH: Missing man reunited with wife after being found in Buckingham Preserve
Meet the K9 who helped find a 79-year-old man after a nearly 24-hour search in Lee County
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