40-year-old James Hammond found safe in Fannin County
Cobb County man found safe after brief disappearance
A 40-year-old Cobb County man reported missing over the weekend has been located safe after disappearing into the North Georgia mountains, authorities said.
FANNIN COUNTY, Ga. - A missing 40-year-old man was found safe in Fannin County after local residents spotted him sitting along a road near Wilscot Mountain.
Missing man found at Wilscot Mountain
What we know:
Local residents encountered James Hammond sitting along the side of a road near the southern base of Wilscot Mountain in Fannin County.
The drivers immediately recognized him from public search photos, picked him up and called authorities.
Hammond told them he spent about four days in the woods before making his way out.
The individuals drove Hammond to a Chick-fil-A in Blairsville to meet Union General EMS.
Emergency medical workers evaluated Hammond and transported him to a local hospital in stable condition.
Agencies across the area, along with Hammond's family, had been searching for him since he vanished along Georgia Highway 60.
James Hammond reported missing
The backstory:
Hammond was last seen on foot walking southbound on GA Highway 60 in Fannin County around 11:30 p.m. last Friday before he disappeared, according to officials.
The Fannin County Emergency Management Agency described Hammond as 195 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
He was wearing khaki shorts and a black T-shirt when he disappeared, and his family is urgently searching for him.
The Paulding County 911 Communications Center noted that Hammond may have been traveling toward Cobb County.
Hammond's wife posted on Facebook stating that she had his phone and had no way to contact him. She also said there was an extensive search and rescue mission underway across Georgia to find him.
"Trying my best to be strong and patient and trust that God is keeping him safe. Please pray that we don’t lose hope and that he is found soon," she wrote.
Hammond's family publicly asked for prayers as crews worked to find him.
Cobb County father steps out of moving car and disappears
Ground and air search teams are looking for missing Cobb County father James Hammond in Fannin County after he stepped out of a car and vanished.
What we don't know:
Officials have not released additional details regarding how Hammond became lost or how he survived during his four days in the woods. Authorities have also not provided further updates on his medical status following his hospital evaluation.
Search effort thanks
What they're saying:
Authorities expressed gratitude to the community and emergency personnel who aided in the search effort.
"We would like to sincerely thank everyone who shared James’ information, reported possible sightings, remained vigilant, and assisted with the search efforts," officials said. "We especially thank the individuals who recognized James, stopped to assist him, and immediately notified authorities."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from statements released by local emergency officials regarding the search and rescue efforts for James Hammond, as well as previous statements from the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency, the Paulding County 911 Communications Center and public family updates. This story has been updated since it was originally published.