Boy, 9, Runs Away From Home, Sneaks Into Plane And Travels 1,677 Miles Alone

A 9-year-old Brazilian boy ran away from home and traveled 1,677 miles alone across the country without a plane ticket.

Emanuel Marques de Oliveira was first reported missing by his parents in Manaus, Brazil, after his mother, Daniele Marques, found his bed empty in the early hours of Saturday morning.

“I woke up at 5.30 am, went to his room, and saw that he was sleeping normally. Then I fiddled with my mobile phone a little and got up again, at 7.30 am, and that is when I realized that he was no longer in his bedroom and I started to panic," said Daniele, according to Times Now.

Daniele spent the entire day worrying about where her son was. It was only at the end of the day when she found out from authorities that her son was all the way on the other side of the country in the city of Guarulhos in São Paulo.

Investigators found that Emanuel traveled on the plane without any documents, money for the ticket or even a suitcase. The boy reportedly searched “how to get on a plane unnoticed” on the internet before going on the secret expedition, police said, according to local news Terra MT Digital.

The boy traveled on a LATAM Airlines flight unnoticed and was found by the authorities before being safely returning home Sunday.

Police also said there was no history of violence in Daniele’s household. The boy reportedly said he took the trip to São Paulo to live with other relatives.

Daniele spoke about her son’s narration of the trip to her after Emanuel returned.

“...He took a red bus from my home route and asked for information on how he would get to the airport,” the mother explained, according to Revista Cenarium. “When he arrived at the airport, he looked at the counter to see what time the flight to Guarulhos would leave and saw that it would be at 3:50 pm, so he went to the gate where he was supposed to enter and waited for a distraction from the x-ray people and managed to pass through three inspections and get on the plane.”

It was discovered that the boy was traveling alone only after the flight landed, his mother said.

“When he disembarked, he asked the flight attendant how he could get a bus to Campinas, and that’s when they realized that Emanuel had traveled alone and had no documents,” Daniele reportedly said. “Then they called me, informing me that he was in Guarulhos.”

Authorities are still investigating how Emanuel managed to get on the plane alone without a ticket.

Latam airlines released a statement following the incident, as reported by the publication.

"LATAM Brazil informs that a minor was identified on flight LA3168 (Manaus-São Paulo/Guarulhos), on the afternoon of this Saturday 26...," the statement said. "In Guarulhos, the airline called the Federal Police and the Guardianship Council, which sent him to a shelter to await the necessary procedures for his return to Manaus. The minor reembarked on flight LA3008 (São Paulo/Guarulhos-Manaus) this Sunday, 27, which landed at 11:45 a.m., being received by local authorities," it added.