HANOVER COUNTY, Va. — The Hanover County Sheriff's Office welcomed back Robert "Robbie" Woods and his brother Ryan for their annual tradition of delivering fruit and cookies to deputies this week, continuing a heartwarming custom that began after one of the county's most intensive search operations.
The visit from the now 23-year-old holds special meaning for the department. Deputies were part of a massive six-day search effort, which made national headlines in 2011, that found Woods in 2011 when he went missing as a non-verbal 9-year-old child at North Anna Battlefield Park.
Thousands of volunteers from across the region, along with every available law enforcement resource, worked around the clock to bring him home. Woods was eventually found dehydrated and suffering from hypothermia, curled in the fetal position but alive, weighing just 34 pounds.
"We were honored to welcome back Robert 'Robbie' Woods and his brother, Ryan, for their annual visit to the Sheriff's Office," the sheriff's office posted on social media. "As they do every year, they stopped by to deliver fruit and cookies for our deputies as a simple but powerful way to say thank you."
Woods' disappearance made national headlines and prompted families across the region to re-evaluate their emergency plans. Parents of children with autism and families with relatives who have dementia signed up for Project Lifesaver, a county program that helps law enforcement find missing children and adults more quickly using tracking devices.
The search also led to improved training partnerships between local law enforcement and national organizations that specialize in finding missing children.
"Seeing Robbie each year is a reminder of why we do what we do and the lasting bonds formed through moments that matter most," the sheriff's office said. "We are always happy to see him and truly look forward to this tradition every year."
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