TODDLER, 3, FOUND AFTER VANISHING FROM HIS RURAL HOME FOR 15 HOURS
- Walker Mangus didn't return from walking his dog and was lost in the woods
- Finally found 15 hours later when a family friend stumbled upon him
A missing three-year-old boy has been found safe and reunited with his family after 15 hours alone in the woods.
Walker Mangus was helping his dad feed their animals on their rural property in Wanette, Oklahoma, and went for a walk with his blue heeler dog.
He left about 7.30pm on Thursday but never returned and his family became very worried and reported him missing.
About 100 people searched for Walker on foot, horseback, and on four-wheelers and used a drone to scour the area.
Eventually the dog returned but there as no sign of Walker until he was found about a mile away from his home about 10.10am on Friday.
Family friend Justin Black found Walker up a tree having been walking in the wrong direction to his home.
Black got off work early and joined the search, and took just 15 minutes to stumble upon the little boy, who didn't seem bothered by the night in the rain.
'Cheery as could be. Just kind of started reaching out towards me and walked to the road, and someone was driving by the road on the side-by-side and picked us up,' he told KOCO.
Walker was driven back to his family, who hugged him in a tearful reunion.
Pottawatomie County Undersheriff Travis Dinwiddie said the search struggled with the dark, weather, and trees until dawn.
'He seemed to be in really good spirits for spending the night out by himself in the dark and in the rain and in the thunder and lightning,' he said.
Walker was taken to hospital but appeared to be uninjured.