Amari Gabriel Christiansen was found within the search area and appeared to be in good health, police said.
He is undergoing an evaluation from EMS.
An AMBER Alert was activated early Friday morning for Amari.
He is from Jacksonville, North Carolina, which is along the coast between Wilmington and New Bern.
Authorities in Jacksonville said that Amari was last seen at about 5:45 p.m. Thursday after getting off the school bus.
According to the Jacksonville police chief, the police department has partnered with the FBI in the search for Amari.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol, NC Emergency Management, NC Marine Fisheries, NC Probation and Parole, Onslow County Sheriff's Department, NCIS, the Military Police, the Red Cross, numerous volunteer fire departments and Onslow County Emergency Management assisted in the search for the missing boy.
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