An eight-year-old autistic boy that went missing in California earlier this week has been reunited with his family, and the rescue is being credited in part to the music of metal legend Ozzy Osbourne.
Joshua Robb ran away into the wilderness near his elementary school in San Barnardino on Monday (September 12) and was missing for approximately 24 hours. A team of about 60 people on foot and in vehicles scoured the lands in attempts to find the boy, with rescuers finally tracking him down in the forest after recognizing his shirt. Despite the cold weather conditions, the child was wearing just a T-shirt, shorts and sandals.
How Osbourne comes into this is that the boy's father, Ron, requested that his son's two favourite tunes, Osbourne's "No More Tears" and country artist Alan Jackson's "Good Time," be blasted over the San Barnardino National Forest's public address system. The thought was that even though Joshua is allegedly fearful of loud noises, the familiar songs would draw him out of hiding.
"I heard them blaring 'No More Tears' and it was a short time after that we heard the rescuers had found him," Ron Robb told NBC.
"He walked toward them and said, 'Thank you. You saved me,'" confirmed Lt. Rick Els of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
The boy, scratched and bruised, was taken to a hospital, but is reportedly fine otherwise.
The heavy metal icon has yet to issue a statement on the matter, but his wife Sharon mused on what his reaction would be.
"He'll probably start crying because of the picture of that little boy with his school jacket," she said.
Joshua Robb ran away into the wilderness near his elementary school in San Barnardino on Monday (September 12) and was missing for approximately 24 hours. A team of about 60 people on foot and in vehicles scoured the lands in attempts to find the boy, with rescuers finally tracking him down in the forest after recognizing his shirt. Despite the cold weather conditions, the child was wearing just a T-shirt, shorts and sandals.
How Osbourne comes into this is that the boy's father, Ron, requested that his son's two favourite tunes, Osbourne's "No More Tears" and country artist Alan Jackson's "Good Time," be blasted over the San Barnardino National Forest's public address system. The thought was that even though Joshua is allegedly fearful of loud noises, the familiar songs would draw him out of hiding.
"I heard them blaring 'No More Tears' and it was a short time after that we heard the rescuers had found him," Ron Robb told NBC.
"He walked toward them and said, 'Thank you. You saved me,'" confirmed Lt. Rick Els of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
The boy, scratched and bruised, was taken to a hospital, but is reportedly fine otherwise.
The heavy metal icon has yet to issue a statement on the matter, but his wife Sharon mused on what his reaction would be.
"He'll probably start crying because of the picture of that little boy with his school jacket," she said.
