A four-year-old boy has been reunited with his parents after becoming lost in burnt-out bushland in Australia for a terrifying 24 hours.
Jean Patrick Eveleigh was last seen at his parent's 35-hectare property at Waterholes, in Victoria's East Gippsland region on Saturday.
The area had been overrun by the recent bushfires and his family was at their property to inspect the damage. But to their horror, Jean went missing during this time.
His disappearance sparked an extensive search, with over 200 police and emergency service workers taking part.
Luckily he was found a day later on Sunday almost two kilometres away from his home, safe and well.
One of his rescuers, Troy Soughen, said they were calling for Jean when he popped out from a bush.
"[We were] walking along yelling out his name and all of a sudden hear this little voice, 'I'm over here', he popped his head out of the bushes and there he was," he told 7 News.
"He skulled a 500ml of water within three seconds. And then proceeded to chat our ear off all the way back here."
Covered in dust and dirt, Jean clung onto his mum while given a round of applause by the emergency crews who desperately searched or him.
Victoria Police Acting Inspector Peter Fusinato said Jean was in good spirits.
"He's alive and well, he's covered in dust, he's got a smile on his face," he said, according to The Age.
"When he saw his parents that was obviously an emotional moment, he hadn't seen them for some time."
Jean was taken to Bairnsdale Hospital on where doctors confirmed he was in good health.
