An 11-year-old boy who had been missing since May 18 deep in the mountains of Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province, was miraculously found safe on May 30, 13 days later, in a wooded mountain hollow 8 kilometers away from his home.

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On the afternoon of May 18, a boy living in Anhua Village, Shidong Town, Huaiji County, Zhaoqing City, went missing. His family couldn't find him, so they reported it to the police. According to the police investigation, the boy's house was deep in the mountains, and there was only one other house nearby, so it was believed that the boy got lost deep in the mountains.

For the next 13 days, the search continued. The Huaiji County Public Security Bureau immediately launched a search and rescue operation, and the Zhaoqing City Public Security Bureau also mobilized police officers and police dogs to assist in the search in Huaiji County. In addition, multiple drones were used to search from the air, and village officials of Shidong Town, forest rangers, and local residents also cooperated and worked together to advance the search.

Because the ground was muddy due to rain, the search of over 467 hectares of forest was conducted entirely on foot. Mo Wenjie (Mo Wenjie), director of the Shidong Police Station, Huaiji County Public Security Bureau, Zhaoqing City, stated, "For over a dozen days, more than 100 people participated in the search in the mountains every day. The total number of participants in the search over 13 days exceeded 1,000."

A turning point came on the 12th day of the search. A villager collecting medicinal herbs in the mountains discovered a child's trousers, and the family confirmed they belonged to the missing boy.

Then, from the early morning of the 30th, the 13th day, the search team re-entered the mountains. Around 11:00 AM, a police dog suddenly reacted. It reportedly lowered its head, moved forward while sniffing, and began to bark.

Guo Zhiheng (Guo Zhiheng), the police dog trainer, followed the dog, and after advancing about 10 meters, found the boy lying in a bush in a mountain hollow. It was 4 kilometers from where the boy's trousers were found and 8 kilometers from the boy's home.

After the discovery, when Guo called the boy's name loudly, the boy reportedly raised his face and smiled.

At that moment, Guo recalled the moving moment, saying, "He's still alive, and he could even smile! I had been worried for over a dozen days, but I could finally breathe a sigh of relief."

After being rescued, the boy tightly gripped Guo's neck, the first person he saw, and wouldn't let go, and tears reportedly streamed from his eyes.

Why did the boy go missing deep in the mountains? And how did he survive for 13 days in the harsh mountain environment?

According to search team members, the boy got lost, became anxious in the densely wooded mountains, and may have wandered deeper and deeper into the mountains. Fortunately, because it had been raining daily, although the search was difficult, he was able to secure the water needed to survive, and because there were fruits in the mountains, it is believed he was able to stave off hunger. (Provided by/People's Daily Online Japanese Edition・Edited by/KN)