Six-year-old boy found in Vietnam forest after five days
Dang Tien Lam was found by locals who heard a child's cry coming from woodland
- Published
A six-year-old boy who was missing for five days has been found deep in a forest in Vietnam.
Dang Tien Lam, who lives in the northwestern Yen Bai province, was playing in a stream with his nine siblings on 17 August when he wandered into the hills and got lost, local reports said.
He was found on Wednesday by local farmers who heard a child's cry while they were clearing a cinnamon field close to the forest.
Lam, who was found sitting in cassava bushes about 6km (3.7mi) from where he went missing, had become so weak he was unable to stand.
"I'm so tired, I can't stand up, please carry me up," Lam said, according to 52-year-old farmer Ly Van Nang.
Lam survived on leaves, wild fruits and streamwater, reports said.
Pictures online show locals tending to him and offering him cake after he was carried out of the forest.
He was found wearing a red T-shirt and shorts that were completely soiled.
"[The child told me] that when he got lost, he could not find his way home," said Mr Nang, according to local news site Dan Tri.
"And the more he walked, the more he could not find a way out."
The police said it was a "miracle" that Lam was found alive.
"Congratulations on returning safely to your family," officers wrote on a Facebook post.
The news sparked relief on social media, with many congratulating Lam's family and thanking the search team for their efforts.
Local authorities had mobilised more than 150 people - including police officers, soldiers and local volunteers - in search of the young boy.