"Yesterday I got to put my arms around my son," Kim wrote in a heartfelt message.
After full 18 months, the McCourt family breathed a sigh of relief. 27-year-old Harley McCourt, who was last seen in 2021, has now been reconnected with his family after being discovered "unharmed" on March 11 in Galveston, according to the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office Facebook post.
Harley's mother Kim McCourt and sister Brittany Crumpton traveled for more than seven hours before they located him and brought him back to safety.
Harley was last seen at his residence on October 2, 2021, around 1 a.m. In the two months prior to his absence, he had not used his phone or left the house. Texas authorities notified Harley's family earlier this month that their family member had recently been pulled over by an officer for walking against the flow of traffic.
Kim told PEOPLE that she and Brittany had driven there on their own and had begun to look for Harley when they finally came across him as he was "walking down the beach" with an umbrella in his hand. In addition, he was donning a COVID-19 helmet and spectacles. "Yesterday I got to put my arms around my son," Kim wrote in a heartfelt message on a Facebook page set up to search for Harley. "Harley is back with his family and my heart is full again."
Why Harley vanished nearly a year and a half ago is still a mystery. Prior to going missing, the PCSO claimed that Harley was "severely depressed and distant for approximately three months." Harley was also said to be "very paranoid about COVID-19" and did not want anyone touching him.
When he went missing, Harley left his cash and smartphone at home, according to the sheriff's office. He hadn't used his phone for about two months. "Something's not right and he didn't just get up and walk away and not ever be seen. I mean it's just not it's not him,” said mom Kim McCourt at the time.
The family has been searching for Harley for over a year and a half. The family even offered a $10,000 incentive to anyone who could provide information about Harley's disappearance, per CBS. Texas authorities were able to get in touch with Harley's family after finding their contact information on an old backpack the lost guy was carrying.
Kim surprised her son with some new clothes and a special birthday supper after discovering Harley in Galveston because she had missed his 26th and 27th birthdays while he was gone, according to WXIN. Shortly after arriving home, Harley was allegedly taken to a hospital in Arkansas. He is now making progress. "A lot of his personality traits and stuff are coming out already and he's started to get back to being happy," Brittany shared.
References:
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=534605232138507&set=a.416901637242201
Cover Image Source: Facebook | Help bring Harley McCourt home
