FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Deputies said they still have questions after a 19-year-old University of Georgia student went for a run and vanished for nearly 27 hours after a jog before returning home early Wednesday morning.
Byron Grogan disappeared Monday night after going for a run along the Chattahoochee River in Forsyth County, police said. The UGA student's disappearance prompted a massive search by land, air and water with hundreds of volunteers.
Grogan’s former coach tweeted overnight that he is OK and that he got lost in the woods and slept through most of Tuesday.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Senior staffer of former Mayor Kasim Reed charged in Atlanta City Hall bribery investigation
- JOB ALERT! Amazon hiring 200+ work-from-home positions
- Dad shares heartbreaking warning after son's fentanyl overdose
Channel 2's Lauren Pozen learned deputies received a phone call from the teen's father early Wednesday morning, saying he was home.
Detectives have some questions for the teen. Mainly, they want to know what happened.
Deputies said as each hour went by during the search, the became more concerned.
"Twenty-four hours after somebody goes missing that’s next to the Chattahooche River we fear the worst and that’s why it’s so important that we bring in all the resources that we did yesterday as fast as we could. Sheriff Freeman wanted to give the family today a chance to hug and embrace each other, but we would like to further investigate this to find out where he was for 27 hours," said Cpl. Doug Rainwater of the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office.
The Grogan family released a statement to the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office saying:
"We thank God that our son is alive and well. We sincerely appreciate the incredible support from our family, friends, law enforcement, volunteers and entire community throughout this time. The support has been truly overwhelming. We’d especially like to thank the law enforcement and fire/rescue agencies who worked tirelessly to find our son. Their response from the beginning was immediate, comprehensive, and highly professional. Our community is truly blessed to have such wonderful support from our law and rescue organizations. We’d also like to thank the media for getting the word out so quickly. We are eternally grateful to you all. Byron became lost and disoriented while attempting to run home through the forest from the outer boundary of the park, after believing the park's driveway gates would be closed before he finished his run. We are so happy to have him home."
Cox Media Group
