Russian Toddler Rescued After Surviving 3 Days Alone in Wilderness

A Russian toddler has been rescued after spending three days lost in a forest in a remote region of Siberia.

Three-year-old Tserin Dopchut sparked a huge land and air search when he wandered into the woodland near in Khut, a village of around 400 people in the Piy-Khemsky district of the Tuva republic on Sept. 18. Dopchut disappeared after playing with dogs near his family home under the supervision of his great-grandmother and is thought to have followed a young puppy into the forest.

The Siberian Times reported that more than 100 people, including the Russian Emergency Ministry’s rescuers, police and volunteers, joined family members in the search. Regional emergencies chief Ayas Saryglar said dangers in the area included bears, wolves, a swift-moving river and freezing overnight temperatures.

The toddler was found wearing only a shirt and shoes, and had survived by eating some chocolate that he already had with him.

Upon his rescue, Dopchut’s first question was to ask if his toy car was OK. “The whole village is throwing a party to celebrate his survival,” said Sholban Kara-Ool, the head of the Tuva region.