FRESNO, California — A 4-year-old California boy who wandered away from a campsite in the Sierra National Forest was found safe after spending 22 hours alone in the wilderness, authorities said.
A search and rescue team of about 50 officers and volunteers left around 11 a.m. Thursday after the child was reported missing from the campsite surrounded by dense forest north of Fresno.
The boy, from Torrance near Los Angeles, was last seen wearing shorts and a T-shirt, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said.
Around 8 a.m. Friday, the boy was discovered in good condition “nestled under a tree” near a lake about a quarter mile (0.4 km) from the Rancheria Campground where his family was.
“He was hungry and exhausted, but otherwise in good health. We gave him a sandwich and then carried him outside to be reunited with mom and dad,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook on Saturday.
Officials say the boy simply wandered away and lost his sense of direction.
The sheriff’s office thanked the public who volunteered to join the search, “keeping their eyes open, spreading the word on social media and sending out prayers.”
“All of this undoubtedly helped him get home safely,” the department said.