A nonverbal teen went missing in the woods. Rescuers found him after hearing clinking rocks.

A rescuer with a hunch found a nonverbal teen lost in the woods in California after hearing the sound of rocks clinking together.

On Sunday, rescuers were sent to find a missing 16-year-old after he was seen heading into the woods at Crescenta Valley Park, according to a Facebook post from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. 

The call mentioned the teen was developmentally disabled. 

After several hours of searching, a rescuer heard what sounded like rocks clinking together. He remembered that the teen had an interest in rocks and investigated further, according to the post. 

"We were hollering down in this canyon, and I heard something come back," Steve Goldsworthy, a member of the LASD Montrose Search-and-Rescue Team, told NBC Los Angeles. "It sounded like somebody taking two rocks and putting them together." 

A Burbank police helicopter found the teen 400 feet down in the canyon surrounded by trees and vegetation. 

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"I found him basically sitting under an oak tree, probably 3 miles from where he was last seen with his mom," Goldsworthy said.

Rescuers made contact with the teen and built a rapport to gain his trust. The teen was then led up the mountain to safety and released to his family after being treated by paramedics. 

"Our Department was thrilled this incident had a happy ending," the post said.

Follow reporter Asha Gilbert @Coastalasha. Email: agilbert@usatoday.com.