Community celebrates safe return of Casey Hathaway

>>> THREE OLD CASEY HATHAWAY

WILL SPEND ONE MORE NIGHT IN

THE HOSPITAL.

AS HE RECOVERS, AND ENTIRE

COMMUNITIES CELEBRATES HIS

RETURN.

DIARIO'S CANDACE SWEAT WAS

THERE AS THANKFUL HEARTS

LIFTED.

SHE JOINED IS LIVE FROM

NEWBERN.

I KNOW THAT COMMUNITY STILL ON

CLOUD NINE WITH HIS SAFE

RETURN.

>> Reporter: THEY REALLY ARE,

GERALD.

YOU KNOW HOW OFTEN WE COME HERE

TO NOT REALLY GIVE GOOD NEWS

ABOUT STORIES LIKE THIS.

AS YOU MENTIONED, CASEY

HATHAWAY IS HERE AT THE HOSPITAL

. HIS RECOVERY, BUT JUST A FEW

MILES AWAY, THE COMMUNITY IS

CELEBRATING WHAT THEY ARE

CALLING AN ANSWERED PRAYER,

EVEN HIS AUNT WHO WAS THERE

TONIGHT, SO THE CASEY IS AWAKE

AND TALKING, AND FAITH

CERTAINLY PLAYED A ROLE.

>> IN THE CROWD OF PEOPLE

PRAYING AND WORSHIPING, WAS

CASEY HATHAWAY'S I PICK BREANNA

HEAVILY.

SHE DESCRIBED YOURSELF AS SHY,

BUT EVERY ONCE YOU KNOW HOW

MUCH THEY ARE APPRECIATED.

>> ME AND MY MOM WERE AT THE

HOSPITAL, AND WE WERE LOOKING

AT THE NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA,

AND CASEY SIZE PICTURE, AND HE

SAID AUNT BREE, THAT IS ME!

AND I SAID CASEY, ALL THESE

PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR YOU,

TRYING TO HELP FIND YOU.

AND HE GOES, YAY!

>> Reporter: MANY PEOPLE IN HIS

ROOM AT NEW HAVEN CHURCH

PRAYED, MADE MEALS, AND EVEN

JOINED THE SEARCH FOR THE THREE-

YEAR-OLD BOY.

>> HIS FAMILY APPRECIATES THAT

MORE THAN ANYTHING, BECAUSE AT

A TIME LIKE THIS WHERE THERE

SEEMS LIKE THERE IS NO GOOD,

YOU ALL HAVE BEEN OUR GOOD.[

APPLAUSE ]>> Reporter: JUST

DAYS AGO, MANY WERE THIS VERY

PLACE, PLEADING FOR A SAFE

RETURN.

AND I, MANY FROM THE SAME GROUP

CELEBRATING ANSWERED PRAYER.

>> HOW GREAT THOU ART!

THANK YOU, GOD BLESS YOU!

>> YOU PRAY SOMETIMES YOU SEE

ANSWERS RIGHT AWAY, AND

SOMETIMES YOU PRAY AND YOU

DON'T.

IT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT THERE

IS POWER IN PRAYER.

>> Reporter: AND TODAY, WE

HEARD FROM THE MAN WHO PULLED

CASEY HATHAWAY FROM THAT WOODED

AREA WHERE HE WAS FOUND.

>> WHEN ENTERING THE ROOTS, WE

FOUND ABOUT 65 -- HE WAS

INTEGRAL IN HEAVY VEGETATION.

WE GOT HIM OUT, GRABBED HIM,

AND HE GOT IN THE TRUCK AND WE

LOST IT.

>> Reporter: AND, I SPOKE WITH

PEOPLE OFF-CAMERA, AND THEY SAY

THAT SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS

COMMUNITY ARE EMOTIONALLY AND

PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTED.

BUT THEY SAY THEY WOULD DO IT

ALL OVER AGAIN, BECAUSE THE

OUTCOME IS WORTH IT.

AND GERALD.

>> OFTENTIMES THE OUTCOME ISN'T

SO SWEET, ACQUIESCING HERE.

CANDACE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.