A 3-year-old Mississippi boy is in critical condition after officials believe he was attacked by a dog or coyote after wandering away from his house Wednesday night.

WDAM News in Hattiesburg reports that the 3-year-old was found in the woods about an hour after he had wandered away from his Smith County house.

Hundreds of volunteers helped search for the boy after he went missing, according to Smith County Sheriff Joel Houston.

Houston reported to WDAM that the boy appeared to have been attacked by a dog or coyote.

The boy was taken by private vehicle to a local emergency room and then was airlifted to the children’s hospital in Jackson.