3-Year-Old Autistic Boy Found Alive After He Went Missing In Woods For 3 Days [Video]

A 3-year-old boy in Australia who went missing from his parents' property was found alive in the woods after a three-day search, police said.

The autistic nonverbal boy, identified as Anthony Elfalak from Hunter Valley in the southeastern Australian state of New South Wales, went missing Friday. After an extensive search operation, the boy was located Monday from a riverbank around 500 meters from his house, New South Wales police said in a news release.

Police released a dramatic video showing the child moments before he was rescued from the woods. In the video, the boy can be seen sitting near a stream, splashing and drinking water from it while a rescue helicopter hovers above him, The Guardian reported.

When an emergency operator approached the boy and comforted him, he greeted them with a smile, State Emergency Service Chief Inspector Simon Merrick said.

"He turned towards him with a massive smile on his face that he will not forget,” the officer said while describing the emotional moment when the boy was finally located after the large-scale search.

The boy had minor lacerations on his legs, but his condition was stable, ambulance officers said. After an initial assessment of his health, the child was shifted to a hospital for a full checkup.

“It’s a miracle. He has been bitten by ants and he has fallen over but he is alive. He is alive. It’s amazing," the boy's father was cited as saying by The Guardian. The rescue operators had searched the area a day after the boy went missing but did not spot the child then, the child's father added.

“It was a relief more than anything,” Police Superintendent Tracy Chapman said, adding: “The longer something goes on, the more worried you become you won’t get an outcome such as this … it’s a good news story for the entire community.” Chapman said the boy was able to survive long as he had access to water.

Police now believe that the boy spent all three days in the woods and they are investigating the details about the missing incident.