Watch: 78-year-old Lee County man reunites with K9 who found him after 24-hour missing person search

LEE COUNTY, Fla. —

After a race against the clock to save a missing Lee County man, he and his family got the chance to meet one of his heroes, Lee County Sheriff's Office K9 Remington.

Joceli Coutinho, 78, was reported missing out of Lehigh Acres in January. Multiple agencies joined Lee County deputies in the search for Coutinho, who had been missing for nearly 24 hours in freezing temperatures before he was located.

According to LCSO, K9 Remington, a bloodhound, picked up on a 22-hour-old scent from a scent kit used on a flip-flop Coutinho wore the day before. Remington arrived on the scene and found Coutinho after tracking for less than half a mile.

Coutinho, who has Parkinson's disease and dementia, was found in the woods near the Agape Christian Fellowship Church along Buckingham Road, Coutinho's grandson, Thomas Mafra, previously told Gulf Coast News.

On Thursday, Coutinho and his family joined the LCSO at its headquarters to celebrate his safe return. LCSO said Coutinho also enrolled in ReUnite, a collaboration between United Way and law enforcement designed to help with search and rescue operations, to benefit any future recovery with a scent kit and information ahead of time.

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