"I'm sorry mam, the lifeless blob on the ultrasound is not moving, we don't pick up a heartbeat and it's neither growing nor reacting to stimulus. However, I do think when it physically finds itself about 8 inches south of where it is now it should be a living breathing screaming human being."
A fetus is a living human in the earliest stages of the life-cycle, that's just biological fact. Be pro-choice/pro-life all you want but let's not delve into "flat earth" territory here denying that fetuses are both human and alive.
To the story: I wonder if they are still actively even trying to locate the young man. I think at this point it's likely a safe guess to say he's no longer with us, as unfortunate as that is.