Daily US Times: Australian authorities have confirmed a Monday that a toddler was found three days after he went missing in the Australian wilderness.
New South Wales (NSW) Police responded to a missing report just before 12.30 p.m. on Friday that a three-year-old toddler had gone missing from his family’s property in the rural area of Putty, where he was last seen.
Anthony “AJ” Elfalak is autistic and non-verbal, according to Seven News.
When he could not be found, officers organized an extensive search operation with the help of local authorities, including State Emergency Service, Rural Fire Service, NSW Ambulance and the Volunteer Rescue Association.
Rescuers were also helped by hundreds of emergency service volunteers.
After a lengthy search, around 11.30 am on Monday, aviation support service PolAir spotted AJ and was able to guide ground search teams to him.
NSW Police said in a Twitter post on Monday: “A three-year-old child missing on a rural property in the Hunter region since Friday has been located following a large-scale search.”
The post also included a video of AJ drinking water on a nearby riverbank.
Police said the toddler has since been reunited with his family.
AJ’s father, Anthony Elfalak, said: “It’s a miracle. He’s alive. It’s amazing. I’ve been in the bush for four days, I haven’t slept.”
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