PLANTERSVILLE, Texas – A man is being hailed a hero after he helped bring 3-year-old Christopher Ramirez home safely to his family. The child went missing a few days ago in Plantersville.
The man, a Good Samaritan named Tim, told KPRC, KSAT’s sister station, that he found Christopher in a grassy area near FM 1486, north of State Highway 249 on Saturday. He told KPRC that he had been prompted to search for the young boy after attending Bible study.
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“I was in a Bible study that we have every other Friday and there were a number of people talking about this little boy that’s been lost and it was news to me,” Tim told KPRC. “This is the first I’d heard of it. I’m not paying attention to news or anything, and, I was prompted then by the Spirit to say ‘you will go look for that boy. You will search the woods.’”
“So, I got up this morning, did my Bible study, devotional time, prayer time, like I try to do every day, and my wife came in and said ‘what are you going to do today?’ And I said ‘I’m going to go out in the woods and see if I can find that boy.’ And, and I did,’” he added.
Christopher disappeared around 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, after he was playing with his family’s dog near Plantersville. Family members said Ramirez followed the dog into a wooded area, but never returned home, The Associated Press reports.
RELATED: 3-year-old boy missing in Grimes County found safe, officials confirm
Authorities have been searching for Christopher since Wednesday, and over 100 volunteers also joined in the effort. Search crews canvassed multiple areas, including several ponds in the area, but were unsuccessful.
Tim told KPRC his search for Christopher began around 9:45 a.m., Saturday. And just two hours later, around 11:30 a.m., he found the young boy near a pipeline.
“He was probably about 10 yards into the woods,” Tim told KPRC. “I was walking up a pipeline and I heard a noise. But it sounded like it maybe could be an animal in distress. Sometimes deer will do that -- They’ll kind of make noises like you think it’s maybe a human. So I’m walking a little bit further and I’m really listening hard. I’m wanting to hear a child, right? And so then I hear what sounds like a human child in distress. But I couldn’t understand the words. As it turns out, he only speaks Spanish and I couldn’t understand what he might’ve been saying. Every time I heard him I yelled out ‘Hello, hello!’ but I didn’t get a response.”
Tim said he heard the noise once more, and he notified authorities that it could be Christopher.
“They came out and I told them where to go looking and they started looking and I heard the noise up the pipeline, a little further off to the right and they were doing their thing. They were yelling for Christopher and now I know his name.”
“So as I’m walking back down the pipeline to come back home and I hear the noise and I thought ‘that’s odd,’” Tim added.
Tim said he began calling out for Christopher, and to his surprise, he got a response.
“I called his name and he responded and he kept talking and talking and I just went through the thick of the woods and I found him,” said Tim.
Christopher was found in the woods with no shoes or clothing, according to Tim. He had also gone without food or water for several days.
“I picked him up and he wasn’t shaking, he wasn’t nervous,” Tim told KPRC. “He was calm.”
“There have been a lot of people out in this community praying for this little boy. Many had given up hope and the story is, don’t give up hope and God’s still in the miracle business,” Tim added. “He’s still answering prayer.”
At last check, Christopher was being evaluated at the Texas Children’s Hospital in the Woodlands with his mother by his side.
Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell also recognized Tim on social media, giving thanks for his assistance in the search for Christopher.
“He is a humble and kind man that did not want to his name mentioned. I had several good visits with him and thanked him for being there,” Sowell said. “He replied that God told him at Bible study yesterday evening to go look for him and he would find him. This morning the man did just that and the rest is a happy ending to this story.”