DES MOINES (AP) - An autistic teen was found Wednesday morning after spending two nights in a wooded area several miles from his Des Moines home.

Matt Thompson, 16, had a broken leg and was dehydrated when volunteer searchers found him sitting by a tree.

"He heard us talking from across the river and yelled out, 'Can you help me? My leg is broken,"' said Dave Caris, one of dozens of people who helped in the search.

"At that point we just thought a miracle had happened."

Police said Thompson broke his leg after falling from a tree. The teen had apparently gone for a walk to think about his family's upcoming move from Des Moines to Waukee, said Des Moines Police Detective Kurt Bender.

"His family was moving out of the home that he'd known, he was in a new school and he had a lot on his mind," Bender said. "I think he went for a walk in the area that was familiar to him - where he'd grown up."

Volunteers spent Wednesday morning posting missing person fliers of Thompson. Police dogs had picked up his scent in various areas and family and friends had searched for him overnight Tuesday.

Caris said had been searching on his bicycle for more than two hours when he found Thompson.

"I know he was glad to be found," Caris said. "He talked about how thirsty he was and how he wanted somebody to get some water to him. He was in quite a bit of pain."

Thompson was listed in good condition Wednesday at Blank Children's Hospital.