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Palm Coast teen found alive after five-day search, deputies say

A 17-year-old boy, who had not been seen since last week, was found alive in Palm Coast Tuesday evening, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.
Rickey Wheeler, who suffers from muscular dystrophy, had been missing since Sept. 21 and did not have his medication, officials said. Deputies said he left his Palm Coast home last week without a cellphone, medication, or a bank card.
Earlier in the afternoon, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office said deputies found Wheeler's clothes, but not him. 
Crews then found Wheeler while continuing to search closer to his neighborhood. Investigators found him at the end of a dead-end road in a development site. 

PALM COAST, Fla. — Watch update below on teen found alive: 

LIVE BREAKING NEWS: Update on missing Flagler County teen

An update on the search for 17-year-old Rickey Wheeler, a teen with muscular dystrophy, who has not been seen since Friday. Earlier, deputies announced they found his clothes.

Posted by WFTV Channel 9 on Tuesday, September 25, 2018
“I want to thank everyone for their tips, emails and support during this search. I believe that Rickey Wheeler was found alive because of the massive efforts from our employees, our great community and volunteers and support from our neighboring law enforcement agencies along with our local fire/rescue departments,” said Sheriff Staly.
Bloodhounds were used as part of the search, the Sheriff's Office said.  
Wheeler was transported to Florida Hospital Flagler where he was reunited with his family. He is in stable condition.
“There is no greater honor in our line of work than when you can reunite a missing child with their family and tell the mother and father their child is coming home,” said Staly.
Alex Dillard, a friend of Wheeler's, was overcome with joy upon hearing that his friend was found alive. 
"I worried too much, and I worried, the family, and I do love him and I do miss him. God bless him," Dillard said. 

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