This is Paul Johnson's son Paul Jr. praying for his dad.

Paul Johnson III made the request through The Associated Press a day before a deadline imposed by the group that captured his father, Paul Johnson Jr. The captors threatened Tuesday to kill him in three days unless Saudi authorities release al-Qaida prisoners.

In an interview on NBC's "Today" show, Johnson said he had received no indication that authorities have made any progress in the search for his father.

"I just want to ask the president of the United States and the Saudi officials to please make this happen," the son said. "Father's Day is right here. Bring my father home for Father's Day."

"We all hope Paul comes back," said Dan Pomponio, a neighbor of Johnson's sister in Little Egg Harbor. "You can only cross your fingers and hope."

Johnson, 49, moved to Florida in the early 1980s to work for Lockheed Martin, and had worked in Saudi Arabia for more than a decade. At the time of his abduction, he was working on targeting and night vision systems for Apache helicopters.

Family members have described Johnson as a longtime resident of Saudi Arabia who respects the country's culture and traditions.