A boy and his beloved bear were reunited recently after quick thinking New Jersey Turnpike Authority employees found the lost teddy at a Turnpike service area.
Julissa Viana tweeted out her thanks to the Turnpike Authority after they found the missing bear at a service area in Salem County
Julissa Viana tweeted out her thanks to the Turnpike Authority after they found the missing bear at a service area in Salem County and sent her a photo on Twitter on Monday to confirm it was her son's.
"We lost the bear on Saturday, Aug. 6, on our way to the Outer Banks. We stopped at one of the rest areas on the Turnpike to switch drivers," Viana of New City, N.Y., said via email. "My husband was sorting out my son's belongings and it fell out of the car. My son noticed his bear was missing when we arrived in the Outer Banks and were getting ready for bed."
Tom Feeney, a Turnpike Authority spokesman, spotted Viana's Tweet and put the word out.
"I saw her tweet and asked Dave Trumpp in our patron services office to check with the Sunoco staff at our three southbound service areas at the southern end of the Turnpike," Feeney said. "The staff at the Clara Barton Service Area said they had found a bear. They emailed me a photo and I Tweeted (it)."
The bear hadn't been found when Viana initially called the Turnpike Authority, so she took to social media.
"We were shocked and elated when we heard the N.J. Turnpike Authority found the bear," Viana said. "We thought it was a long shot."
The bear has been part of her 12-year-old son's life since he was born and he always brings him on trips, she said.
"He figured this would probably be the last trip he'd bring his bear on, as he is getting older," she said. "Interestingly, his twin brother warned him not to bring him."
The authority is mailing the bear the Viana's home, where a neighbor is "eagerly awaiting its arrival," Viana said.
"We are so grateful for what the NJ Turnpike did in checking the various rest stops and working with the staff there to find it so quickly," she said.
Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.