MANALAPAN, NJ — A 15-year-old boy with autism was found safe Wednesday evening after disappearing during a school field trip at Monmouth Battlefield State Park, according to authorities. The search lasted nearly eight hours and brought together deputies, police officers, search dogs and drones as crews worked across the sprawling park.

Authorities said the teenager vanished around 11:46 a.m. while on the outing. Concern grew as daylight faded and temperatures dropped, with the search continuing into the night before Eyewitness News learned the boy had been found shortly after 7 p.m.

Large emergency response unfolds across the 2,764-acre park

Monmouth Battlefield State Park covers 2,764 acres, giving responders a wide and wooded area to cover as the search intensified. Local and state police flooded the park as the boy’s disappearance prompted a coordinated effort across trails, open spaces and heavily wooded sections.

Drones were sent overhead to help crews scan the area from above, while search dogs assisted on the ground. The size of the park and the length of the search made the effort especially difficult, according to the officials and volunteers involved.

As the search expanded, first responders and local parents also joined in. Some arrived with flashlights and prepared to look through the park themselves, adding to the growing community response as the hours passed.

Authorities said the teenager may not communicate exact thoughts

Officials said the boy is verbal but may not be able to communicate exact thoughts, a detail that likely added urgency to the search. That made locating him safely a priority as crews worked to narrow down where he might have gone after separating from the field trip group.

Authorities did not say where in the park the teenager was found. They also did not immediately explain how he became separated from the school outing. What they did say is that the search ended successfully once he was located and confirmed safe.

Volunteers describe a tense evening as darkness fell

People who came out to help said the waiting was difficult as evening approached and conditions grew colder. Karen Ramos, one volunteer searcher, said the situation was especially hard to think about because of the weather and the time of night.

Another volunteer, Amy Cowley, said she felt compelled to help because her sister also has autism. She said she understood how difficult it can be when someone with autism goes missing, and added that it was hard to fathom a child disappearing from a school group with so many adults present.

The search ended shortly after seven as crews confirmed he was safe

Eyewitness News learned the teenager was found shortly after 7 p.m., ending a search that had stretched for almost eight hours. Authorities said he was safely located, and described the outcome as a success.

The exact spot where he was found has not been disclosed. Even so, the recovery brought relief to the volunteers, parents and responders who had spent the afternoon and evening watching the search unfold and hoping for a positive outcome.

School field trip scare highlights the challenge of large park searches

The incident drew attention because it happened during a school field trip at a large state park, where a missing person can quickly become hard to track. The combination of wooded terrain, widening search areas and the approach of night made the operation more complicated as it continued.

For responders, the successful outcome capped a tense effort that relied on coordinated ground teams, canine units, aerial support and community help. For families following along, the moment the boy was found safely ended hours of worry and uncertainty.