JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Two young children at the center of an intensive two-day search have been found safe, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has confirmed.
Search crews found Braxton Williams, 6, and his 5-year-old sister Bri'ya Williams in a wooded area near their home, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said at a news conference.
"It was the best outcome that we hoped for," Williams said.
WJXT posted video of the children with first responders outside of an ambulance as the children were being taken to the hospital. Rescuers reportedly called it a "Christmas miracle."
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said the children had wandered away into a "dense, swampy area" north of their home. Rescuers found them in a small, dilapidated pump house in the woods. He said they were found when a rescue team member heard a child's voice, prompting search crews to converge on the area.
Firefighters said the children were "happy and talkative" with rescuers, saying they were hungry and wanted cheese pizza. Deputies and firefighters chipped in to buy some pizza for the kids.
"We're incredibly grateful for the outcome we have today," Williams said in a press conference.
The children have been taken to an area hospital to be checked out, but Williams said they appeared to be in good health.
"It's a Christmas miracle and it's a blessing," a sheriff's investigator told First Coast News. "A lot of hard work had been done and thank God for it."
FOX News contributed to this report.