A five-year-old boy who vanished in a bear-inhabited forest in Romania has been discovered safe and well after spending nearly three days alone in unforgiving wilderness.
The Disappearance
Toma-Alexandru Zerestea, widely known as Alex, went missing on Monday afternoon in the Rusc area on the edge of Sebișu de Jos, Romania, while his father was carrying out repairs on an electric fence. In a brief moment of distraction, the youngster wandered into the woodland and could not be located.
The Search Operation
Hundreds of rescue personnel — including police, gendarmes, firefighters, mountain rescuers, volunteers and soldiers, equipped with search dogs, drones and thermal imaging equipment — launched an intensive operation across challenging mountainous terrain. The region is well known for large carnivores, with recent torrential rain and freezing overnight temperatures heightening the dangers considerably.
The Rescue
At around 1pm on Wednesday, the boy was spotted from a Black Hawk helicopter operated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs' General Inspectorate of Aviation, approximately 1.5 miles from where he had vanished. Search-and-rescue operator Mihail Soare was winched down on a trolley to reach the child, who was conscious and sheltering amongst the trees. Soare remained with young Alex, keeping him warm until ground teams arrived.
The rescuer subsequently said: "It is a very emotional moment, I did not think I would ever live something like this. I have two children of my own, the emotion was overwhelming."
Medical Condition and Reunion
Alex was taken to the Sibiu Clinical Paediatric Hospital. Medical staff found him stable and in good overall condition despite exhaustion and exposure, with no serious injuries reported. His father said he was "shaking with happiness" after the family was reunited.
Romanian authorities described the outcome as a miracle given the dangers of the Carpathian forest environment. Police have opened a routine inquiry into the circumstances, but early indications point to the boy simply wandering off.
