Missing Arkansas man found alive on Texas beach 1.5 years after disappearance
Harley McCourt disappeared in Arkansas in 2021 and was still wearing his COVID-19 mask when his family found him in Galveston, Texas
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}An Arkansas man missing since October 2021 was found alive earlier this month walking on a beach in Texas.
Harley McCourt's family had last seen the now-27-year-old on Oct. 2, 2021 – the same day they reported him missing to the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office in Arkansas after realizing he had left home without his cellphone or wallet.
"Yesterday I got to put my arms around my son. Something I had prayed hard for since Oct 2021," McCourt's mother, Kim McCourt, wrote in a March 12 statement posted to a Facebook page dedicated to finding her son. "Harley is back with his family and my heart is full again. Thank you all for the prayers and support."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Pulaski County Sheriff's Office said McCourt had been located in Galveston, Texas, on March 11.
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Harley McCourt of Arkansas was reported missing in October 2021. (Help bring Harley McCourt home Facebook page)
The sheriff's office described McCourt as a "hermit" at the time of his disappearance, saying it was unusual for him to leave his residence and that he had been struggling with depression and paranoia about COVID-19.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}McCourt's family searched tirelessly for the 27-year-old, handing out flyers, buying a billboard and even offering a $10,000 reward for information that could lead to him, according to KARK-TV.
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"Every day just trying to find something, anything. I felt like an investigator," McCourt's sister, Brittany Crumpton, told the outlet. "Your mind just wanted to tell you, ‘No, he’s not alive. He’s not alive.' But my heart just… said he’s alive somewhere and he’s out there."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She described her brother as "fun," saying they would "go on camping trips" and McCourt was "always the one to show everyone how to fish and do everything."
Harley McCourt's sister described him as "fun," saying they would "go on camping trips" and he was "always the one to show everyone how to fish and do everything." (Help bring Harley McCourt home Facebook page)
Nearly a year-and-a-half after he went missing, around 3 a.m. on March 11, McCourt's family received a phone call from authorities in Galveston saying they had stopped the 27-year-old on the side of the road because he was walking against traffic.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Authorities let him go because he hadn't committed any crimes, but he had been carrying his backpack at the time, which listed his family's contact information just in case he ever got lost while hunting, according to KARK-TV.
Crumpton and Kim McCourt immediately began the seven-hour drive to Galveston to reunite with McCourt, the outlet reported. They began their search by taking to the beach in a golf cart and handing out flyers.
Nearly a year-and-a-half after he went missing, around 3 a.m. on March 11, McCourt's family received a phone call from authorities in Galveston saying they had stopped the 27-year-old on the side of the road. (Help bring Harley McCourt home Facebook page)
Toward the end of the day without any luck, they began to look for seashells.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}At one point, someone called Kim's name.
"She looked up, and I just like threw all my seashells down, and I was like, 'Oh my gosh.' I couldn’t believe it, he was walking down the beach, he had an umbrella, his glasses, and he had a COVID mask on still," Crumpton told KARK-TV.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She encouraged others looking for their missing loved ones: "Don’t give up. Keep the faith.… Keep pictures out. Keep it going because someone will see him."
McCourt's family told KARK-TV that it is still unclear how the 27-year-old got lost and became homeless for almost a year-and-a-half, but he is currently receiving mental health treatment.