A six-year-old boy who had been missing for five days was discovered deep within a forest in Vietnam, police confirmed on Thursday, according to the BBC.
The young boy was first reported missing on Saturday after he did not return home with his siblings following a celebration at a relative’s home in Yen Bai province.
Authorities in Lam Giang commune quickly began searching for him, going so far as to drain a pond out of concern that he might have fallen in, according to an officer involved in the search.
The boy, identified as Dang Tien Lam from northwestern Yen Bai province, was last seen on August 17 playing in a stream with his nine siblings before he wandered into the hills and became lost, according to local reports.
Over the course of four days, more than 200 people participated in the search efforts, state media reported.
He was ultimately discovered on Wednesday by local farmers who were clearing a cinnamon field near the forest when they heard a child’s cry.
Lam was found sitting among cassava bushes approximately 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from where he had initially gone missing. He had become so weakened that he was unable to stand.
“I’m so tired, I can’t stand up, please carry me up,” Lam reportedly said, according to 52-year-old farmer Ly Van Nang, who helped rescue him.
Surviving on leaves, wild fruits, and stream water, Lam endured his ordeal alone, as reported by local sources.
Photographs circulating online depict locals caring for him and offering him cake after he was carried out of the forest. He was wearing a red T-shirt and shorts, both of which were heavily soiled.
“[The child told me] that when he got lost, he could not find his way home,” Mr. Nang said, according to the local news site Dan Tri. “And the more he walked, the more he could not find a way out.”
The police described Lam’s survival as a “miracle.”
“Congratulations on returning safely to your family,” officers wrote in a Facebook post.
The news of Lam’s safe return was met with widespread relief on social media, where many expressed their gratitude to the search team and offered congratulations to Lam’s family.
Local authorities had mobilized over 150 people, including police officers, soldiers, and local volunteers, to search for the young boy.
