An 18-month-old baby boy survived for three days without anything to eat or drink in Durban, South Africa. Setting aside dehydration concerns, doctors say the baby is in perfect health after being found in the bushes in the country.
According to eNCA, Samkelo Cele headed for the bush on Saturday and remained missing until Tuesday. He was found by a SAPS dog unit with no injuries and in a good state.
News24 noted that Cele's parents have Umhlali Search and Rescue Dog handler Clint Odayar and dog Dante to thank for rescuing their baby boy. Odayar said saving the boy's life will remain a highlight in his entire existence.
As it turns out, Dante went into a "dense section of bush," which Odayar then pushed away. It was at that moment that he found the infant looking straight back into his eyes - a moment Clint says "touched" him.
The policeman and his accompanying dog were among the search and rescue teams dispatched to find the boy. "[The parents] said they had heard cries at night but as it is a densely populated area they were not sure whether or not it was their child or just another baby," Odayar told News24.
Wandering toddler miraculously survives: https://t.co/htY8iMWrdc pic.twitter.com/Fr6uoPSUwl | (via @eNCA ) #Africa https://t.co/d7KmRhpkMi
— Aretha Perkins (@apcrowriter1) March 25, 2016
He explained that he started searching near the house of the parents where the child could have easily snuck. "I watched him edge his way into the bush and as I moved behind him I moved back the grass and saw the child's eyes staring into mine," added the rescuer.
Odayar explained that the child could have reached the bushes, then sat there when he got tired. He noted that finding the boy alive and healthy was indeed a miracle.
