For a nine-year-old boy from the Netherlands, the stopover at a motorway service area on the A3 near Wiesbaden became a moment of shock.
Apparently, the mother forgot it when filling up in Medenbach Ost and drove on without noticing that her child was missing.
Drivers noticed the boy because he seemed to be walking aimlessly between the gas pumps.
With the help of a family from the Netherlands, the boy was able to explain what had happened to the officers who had been contacted.
His mother had therefore filled up while he was on the toilet.
When he got back to the gas pump, his mother had disappeared in the car.
The police officers then took the boy to the police station and initiated a search for the mother's Audi.
In a roundabout way and with the support of the Dutch police, the child's aunt finally got in touch.
She was able to reach her sister in the car, who then turned around and, visibly relieved, accepted her son after about two hours.