This story goes to show the resilience of children and their amazing ability to adapt to a crisis situation.
That being said, it is every parent's worst nightmare and this boy was lucky to be found alive and well.
A Japanese two-year-old was missing in woods for three days after going for a walk with his brother and grandfather in the Yamaguchi region.
The tot, Yoshiki Fujimoto, disappeared on Sunday when his grandfather left him unaccompanied to walk home.
The house was around 100 metres away, to where his mother was waiting.
However, the young boy appeared to have wandered off while making his way home.
It sparked a manhunt by police and volunteers for the toddler and grabbed headlines across the country.
The authorities and locals searched the woods which are located in the west of the country, but it was a 78-year-old volunteer who found Yoshiki.
The man who regularly volunteers in disaster relief efforts described the moment he stumbled upon the two-year-old to local reporters.
Haruo Obata sporting a red towel to protect himself against the summer heat said: “I shouted ‘Yo-chan’.”
“He replied ‘yes, here’ and there he was,” explained Obata, who came from a neighbouring region to help with the search.
The young boy was seated on a rock with his bare feet resting in a small puddle.
"At first, I didn’t think it was a human. But there he was. I thought my heart was going to stop,” said the volunteer.
The tot beat all the odds, surviving during a period of hot weather in the region.
Local Japanese media reported that temperatures climbed to 34 degrees celsius during the time the toddler was missing.
It is believed that the young boy who only turned two on Monday, drank river and creek water in the wooded area to stay alive.
Hiroyuki Nishihara, an official at the local hospital caring for the two-year-old commented on his current condition.
“He doesn’t have any major injuries, just a few scratches and slight dehydration,” he said.
The official added that his life isn’t in danger and he will be discharged from hospital soon.
Drones with optical and thermal cameras, along with search dogs and helicopters were called in to find the boy.
Additionally, 160 police personnel with volunteers joined the search.
Thankfully, the boy was found only a few hundred metres from where he originally disappeared.
Naturally, his family are relieved to have their boy back in their arms, alive and well.
Through tears, his mother Mio Fujimoto told local media:
“I couldn’t help but squeeze him tight...I’m so grateful my son returned safely… He is sleeping tight now, he seemed relieved but tired.”
The boy’s grandfather offered his sincere thanks to Haruo Obata, the volunteer who found the tot on the rock.
“That this volunteer would come all the way here, all we can do is offer thanks from the bottom of our hearts,” he said.
We are wishing Yoshiki a speedy recovery.
