Missing Lamar County teen found safe

LAMAR COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - Alyssa Long, the 18-year-old reported missing early Sunday morning, is back with her family.

“I hit my knees, and I hugged her as tight as I could,” said Felisha Long, Alyssa’s mother. “She cried. I cried. It was the best feeling I’ve had in a long time.”

Rescuers spotted Alyssa coming from the wooded area near her home just before 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

“She told us that she wanted to go for a walk that morning, and she kept walking,” said Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel. “And she got lost.”

After she was found, Alyssa was then taken to a local hospital for a full evaluation.

“She’s been a clear check,” Felisha said. “Her mental evaluation was fine. Everything on her end was great. She ate a big plate of spaghetti. Other than that, she’s great.”

“I’m thankful for everybody that’s helped look for her. There’s no words that I can say to thank you.”

For two days, Alyssa was lost in the woods. Rescuers and volunteers hoped to find her by tracking what they thought were her footprints, installing a game camera and leaving food and water in hopes that Alyssa would find it.

Rigel said this was a community response like no other.

“I’ve never seen a community come together like this, and it was heartwarming to see,” Rigel said. “People that didn’t even know her were sacrificing their time. It was just really heartwarming.”

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