[imagesource: NSW Police]

Police released footage of the moment a rescue helicopter found a missing three-year-old boy who was last seen at his house on Friday.

Little Anthony “AJ” Elfalak has autism and doesn’t speak, reports the BBC, and his family were afraid that the worst had happened.

But thankfully, AJ was found sipping water from a small stream around 500 metres from his family’s home in rural New South Wales.

This was following an extensive rescue operation, including an investigation into a kidnapping case, that was carried out over the weekend and into today (Monday).

New South Wales Police shared this video, and were no doubt immensely relieved when they spotted him in the bush:

A three-year-old child missing on a rural property in the Hunter region since Friday has been located following a large-scale search.https://t.co/VrlVwL4sYW pic.twitter.com/byOXFCiD1j

— NSW Police Force (@nswpolice) September 6, 2021

Anthony Elfalak, the boy’s father, called the moment a “miracle” after over 100 officers and volunteers spent around four days searching the bush for his son:

“I know I was acting frantic, but no-one can understand what it’s like going through what we went through. I feel incredible.

“My leg, my hips, my ankles, I can’t walk. I have been in the bush for four days with no sleep. We didn’t stop.”

As for little AJ, he was mostly just drenched from sitting in the creek, with a few scrapes on his lower legs.

The Guardian has the moment that everyone rejoiced after news broke that the boy had been found:

That is sheer, unbridled joy.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison tweeted that he was glad AJ was safe and that he can’t imagine how traumatic this experience has been for the youngster and his parents.

[sources:bbc&guardian]