A 2 and a half year old boy, whose disappearance had kept the country on alert, was found safe Thursday evening in a rural region in central Portugal, local authorities said.
The child, missing for thirty-five hours, had walked several kilometers.
"The child was found four kilometers as the crow flies from his home, but he probably traveled a distance of about ten kilometers", informed the commander of the gendarmerie of Castelo Branco, Jorge Massano.
The boy suffered from dehydration but was in good health, said Castelo Branco hospital, where he was taken care of.
150 people mobilized
Little Noah had disappeared at dawn on Wednesday near the village of Proença-a-Velha when he allegedly went in search of his father, who worked in the fields, state television RTP reported.
The judicial police confirmed that the hypothesis of a “spontaneous disappearance” was the preferred avenue.
Between gendarmes, firefighters and the local population, the research mobilized up to 150 people and the fate of the little boy was followed by all the national media.
The operation was successful after the discovery of clothes and footprints left by the little boy during his disappearance.
World
"In Portugal, the police are much more effective since decriminalization", estimates the national anti-drug coordinator
World
Volunteer firefighter killed while battling forest fire in Portugal
Disappearance
World
Gendarmerie
Portugal