Six-year-old boy found in Vietnam forest after five days

By Kelly Ng, Aug 22: A six-year-old boy who was missing for five days has now been found deep in a forest in Vietnam.

Dang Tien Lam, who lives in the northwestern Yen Bai province, was playing in a stream with his nine siblings on 17 Aug when he wandered into the hills and got lost, local reports said.

He was found on Wednesday by local farmers who heard a child's cries while they were clearing a cinnamon field close to the forest.

Lam, who was found sitting in cassava bushes about 6km (3.7 mi), from where he went missing, had become so weak he was unable to stand.

"I'm so tired, I can't stand up, please carry me up," Lam said, according to 52-year-old farmer Ly Van Nang, who were among those who found the boy.

Lam survived on leaves and wild fruits, as well as drinking streamwater, reports said.

Pictures online show locals tending to him and offering him cake after he was carried out of the forest. They show him wearing a red T-shirt and shorts that were completely soiled and with frazzled hair.

"[The child told me] that when he got lost, he could not find his way home. And the more he walked, the more he could not find a way out," said Mr Nang, according to local news site Dan Tri.

The police said it was a "miracle" that Lam was found alive, adding that he is in stable health. "Congratulations on returning safely to your family," they wrote in a Facebook post.

The news sparked relief on Vietnamese social media, with many congratulating Lam's family and thanking the search team for their efforts.

Local authorities had mobilised more than 150 people - including police officers, soldiers and local volunteers - in search of Lam.