Family searching for young man still missing 10 days after leaving NJ medical center
Search to find missing man in South Jersey
A South Jersey community gathered to help them find a man who has been missing for nearly two weeks.
Family searching for NJ man missing for 10 days
Family, along with their community, gathered Sunday morning to search for 21-year-old Kevin Collins who walked away from a hospital in a medical gown on February 27.
SALEM, N.J. - A very concerned family is pleading with their South Jersey community to help them find a loved one who has been missing for nearly two weeks.
What we know:
A search is underway in Salem, New Jersey, after 21-year-old Kevin Collins walked away from Inspira Medical Center on State Highway 45 on February 27.
He was last seen wearing a hospital gown, which was later found near the hospital.
Police say surveillance footage captured Kevin walking unclothed in a wooded area near Griscom Drive, which is just a nine-minute walk from the hospital,
He hasn't been seen since, sparking several searches by his family in hopes of finding the young man.
On Sunday, the family organized another search. However, this time their community answered the call, gathering early Sunday morning on Bypass Road.
The family says they will also utilize drones with thermal technology to hopefully expedite the search, and find Kevin.
What they're saying:
FOX 29's Steve Keeley spoke with the missing man's family last week as they feared the worst, while expressing their anger.
"Anger, honestly. Frustration because, as his older sister, I always protected him," said Kirsten Collins, Kevin's sister, as she cried and hugged her mom.
"I'm just taken aback in regard to how things were being handled and how my son wasn't secure in a situation where he was safe when he reached out for help," said Tinisha Hall, Kevin's mother.
Kevin, who had just turned 21, safely pulled over and called for help after experiencing mental distress while driving his silver Ford Focus.
"I'm just very fearful that he's somewhere unclothed, risking hypothermia, and he's so tiny. That's what's going through my head. He's fragile and tiny and small and could possibly freeze to death," said Keyoni Collins.
The youngest sibling, measuring just 5 feet 5 inches and 115 pounds, he's the baby brother his sisters always felt obligated to protect.
"He trusted someone to give him some protection, like an umbrella. He didn't get that. I'm so sorry," Kirsten said.
What you can do:
Anyone with information is asked to contact the NJSP Troop "A" Woodstown Station at (856) 769-0775 or the New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit at (609) 882-2000 ext. 2554.
The Source: Information from this article was provided by New Jersey State Police and the Collins family.