Boy found alive after vanishing from grandma's backyard

ERNUL, North Carolina -- Missing 3-year-old Casey Hathaway has been found alive, three days after he disappeared from his grandmother's home.

The FBI confirmed that Casey has been found alive. He was located by professional search and rescue crews Thursday evening in North Carolina.

Hathaway is being evaluated at CarolinaEast Medical Center. The FBI said he is in good health, is talking and has been reunited with family.

RELATED: What we know about the 3-year-old's disappearance

Family members were posting the good news on social media Thursday night.

Professional searchers covered wooded areas Thursday in the search for Casey. Hundreds of volunteers helped in the effort Tuesday and Wednesday, but were told to stay away Thursday for safety reasons because of treacherous terrain and conditions.

SEE ALSO: Searchers push through pounding rain in hunt for boy

K-9 units with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children helped in the search.

The 911 call that was made in reference to Casey's disappearance, which was released Thursday, shed new light on the situation. The caller said that family members had been searching for Casey for almost an hour before calling police.

"It's been at least 45 minutes, 'cause we've been looking all in the woods for him," the caller said.

The operator then asked where the child disappeared.

RELATED: 3-year-old boy disappears from grandma's backyard

"Is it directly behind your house?"

"Yeah...well on the side...yeah," the caller said.

Later in the conversation, the caller hinted that Casey's disappearance was out of character for him.

"Does he usually do this?"

"No," the caller stated.

Casey was first reported missing Tuesday afternoon after the two children he was outside playing with went inside Casey's grandmother's house without him.

According to National Weather Service data, the night Casey went missing, temperatures were below freezing for roughly six hours.

Sheriff Chip Hughes said the child wasn't dressed properly for the weather.