A youngster who spent three nights lost in rural New South Wales has been discharged from hospital.
Three-year-old AJ Elfalak returned home this morning to Putty, with only minor injuries after the ordeal.
He’d spent days in thick bush, with temperatures approaching zero.
The case sparked national attention, with a large scale search effort drawing to a close yesterday, after the child was found drinking water from a creek, around 500m from where he went missing.
The autistic toddler is non-verbal, which made rescue efforts more complicated.
AJ reportedly slept right through the night, after being treated to a few slices of pizza and an ice block in the back of the ambulance on the way to hospital.
Those who were first to reach the missing child told reporters they’d combed the same area on Saturday night.
SES volunteer Greg Chalmers said he’d never forget the look on the boy’s face when he was found.
"I put my hand on his shoulder, knowing his condition, and the chopper noise was loud, he looked around, he had a smile on his face, he just didn't believe it."
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