For 24 hours he was nowhere to be found. A 4-year-old boy has finally returned to his family after disappearing from a California campground in the Sierra National Forest. On Friday 21 June 2024, after a night of intense searching, emergency services discovered him sitting under a tree just 400 meters from the place of his disappearance. “The family was lucky”Lt. Brandon Pursell declared to the US media KABC a subsidiary of CNN.
A dangerous area
The boy, who was only 1 meter tall and weighed 18 kg, was lost in the forest. He had decided to crouch under the shelter of a tree while he waited to be found. The ending of this story could have been tragic because the child was wearing a simple t-shirt and shorts. He was also in a dangerous area due to the presence of bears, snakes and felines. He could also easily have slipped or drowned due to the topography of the area.
He was found in good shape but in a state of extreme fatigue and starvation, the lieutenant said. “We want to thank God, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and everyone on the search and rescue team who worked to bring Cristian back safely”commented his family in a press release shared by the Fresno County sheriff on Facebook.
Great solidarity
A major search system had been established: dogs, helicopters and about 70 rescuers, not including volunteers. “Many people offered to join the search, kept their eyes open, shared the missing message on social media and prayed”welcomed the Fresno County Sheriff.
The possibility of the authorities to call for vigilance before the arrival of the large number of campers this summer period. “If you go into the area, especially in the woods, around waterways, and you have small children, you have to keep an eye on them constantly”warned the lieutenant.
