KOTA KINABALU: An autistic five-year-old who went missing in a forested area near his home in Sepanggar for nearly 24 hours has been found safe following a massive search.
Jayden Gabriel Peter, five, was found alone in the jungle by villagers who were involved in the search-and-rescue operation at 1.30pm Saturday (April 16) after he was reported missing at around 3pm on Friday (April 15).
Lintas Fire and Rescue station chief Agustavia Joe Guasi said that villagers found the boy in the vicinity of a popular hiking trail here in Bukit Janggut, about 2km from his home in Kg Melawa, Jalan Sepanggar.
He said an Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) team gave the boy early treatment before he was taken to Likas Hospital for further medical checks.
"The boy only sustained minor injuries but was in good spirits," he said.
Jayden is believed to have gone missing after he walked out of his house without the knowledge of family members.
Eyewitnesses informed family members that he was seen walking without pants and shirt towards the forested area and a police report was immediately lodged.
Firemen, police dogs and drone units together with villagers were involved in the search for Jayden.
A local couple who decided to join the search for Jayden after hearing that he was missing were surprised to find him when they hiked up the Bukit Janggut.
Sharil Syukur, 33, and his wife, Marsha Marcella, decided to join in the search without actually having any idea where to look for the boy.
Sharil said after almost an hour of walking through the forested area, he decided to rest under a tree as he waited for his wife and other friends to catch up.
Unknown to him, Jayden was only 20m away and his wife and friends spotted the child and alerted him to rescue the boy.
"I was shocked and did not expect his position to be very close to me. I went to Jayden to pick him up,” he said, adding that both he and his wife were happy for Jayden to be reunited with his family.