Young siblings who vanished from their Florida front yard found safe after two days

Author: CBS News
Published:
Braxton and Bri’ya Williams with two of the rescuers who found them on December 17, 2019, two days after they vanished from their Jacksonville, Florida front yard (WJAX-TV)

Siblings Braxton and Bri’ya Williams, who disappeared from their front yard Sunday morning, were found safe in woods near their home on Tuesday afternoon, reports CBS Jacksonville, Florida affiliate WJAX-TV. They were the subject of an Amber Alert.

Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said Braxton, 6 and Bri’ya, 5 were spotted by Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department personnel and were happy and talkative.

The rescuers gave the children candy and water, but they were hungry and said they wanted a cheese pizza. The rescuers were more than happy to oblige, chipping in to get them a cheese pizza.

Williams said one of the rescue team members heard children talking and found them in a dilapidated pump house/fort.

Williams believes the kids just wandered off and were probably alone the entire time.

More than 150 investigators took part in the search. Police checked out more than 20 bodies of water, over 400 homes, and neighbors’ surveillance videos.

A woman who said she’s their mother’s cousin told WJAX she was there when Braxton and Bri’ya were found. She said she saw searchers celebrating.

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