A five-year-old boy who was rescued after almost 24 hours lost in the desert in western Argentina has been released from hospital.

Benjamín Sánchez went missing during a family trip on Sunday and was found by a team of volunteers 21km (13 miles) from where he was last seen.

"I was cold, I slept badly, leaning on a rock," said the boy, who was wearing only a T-shirt and light trousers.

He said he had survived by eating grass and drinking water from a stream.

After being rescued on Monday afternoon, the child was taken by helicopter to a hospital in San Juan suffering slight dehydration and was released on Tuesday.

'I got scared'

Benjamín was found sitting under a tree by a motorcyclist after a search operation that involved some 1,000 police, civil defence officials and volunteers.

"My mum was chasing me and I started running. At first I could hear her but then I got lost," he told El Clarín newspaper (in Spanish).

"I leaned on a stone, started calling her, but she didn't hear me... I [started] walking towards a light that was very far away."

Temperatures in the region this time of the year vary from 30C (86F) during the day to around zero at night.

Alberto Ontiveros, who found the boy, said wild pumas roam the area.

"[Benjamín] was tired... The only thing he was asking for was water."


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-47635713
https://www.clarin.com/sociedad/desesperada-busqueda-nene-anos-desaparecio-zona-turistica_0_N6zmgTP6k.html

Benjamin Sanchez hugs his mother in hospital after he spent 24 hours in the desert, wearing only a T-shirt and trousers. Upon release he was greeted with a new bike from his relatives.

Nice one!

Good one !

1 thousand policemen... Had it been in the country ruled by a dullard....

Life is clearly valued there. Pretty miraculous.

Caucasians and Hispanics with their weird thinking. The guy got lost and gets a bike.

Get lost in Nigeria firstly at your own peril.
Them find you na beating them go use welcome you.