Missing three-year-old boy Anthony ‘AJ’ Elfalak found after three-day search

A three-year-old boy missing in the New South Wales Hunter region since Friday has been reunited with his family four days after going missing on his rural property, police say.

Anthony “AJ” Elfalak, who is autistic and is nonverbal, went missing from his family’s rural property at Yengo Drive in Putty just before 12.30pm on Friday.

Police issued a statement on Monday saying the three-year-old had been located on a nearby riverbank at about 11.30am.

AJ’s father, also called Anthony, told reporters his son would be transported to Singleton hospital for a full checkup after his initial assessment.

“He’s just clinging to Mum,” he said. “I know I was acting frantic, but no one can understand what it’s like going through what we went through. I feel incredible,” he said.

“It’s a miracle. He has been bitten by ants and he has fallen over but he is alive. He is alive. It’s amazing. My leg, my hips, my ankles, I can’t walk. I have been in the bush for four days with no sleep. We didn’t stop.

“He was all wet and he was drinking water … We had searched that area head to toe, SES, police the first day it happened, I went around with the police, I don’t know. It’s a miracle.”

NSW Police Supt Tracy Chapman said AJ was drinking water from a puddle in the creek bed when he was spotted by a helicopter passing over the valley, about 470m from home.

“It was a relief more than anything,” she said.

“The longer something goes on, the more worried you become you won’t get an outcome such as this … it’s a good news story for the entire community.”

Chapman said access to water probably helped AJ survive for three days on his own.

“Experts we consulted said if he had access to water he was always going to be able to survive for a longer period of time,” she said.

“It would be our assumption at this point in time he was in the bush for the whole three days … we’re continuing enquiries to understand what occurred.”

SES chief inspector Simon Merrick said it was an “emotional” moment when an SES member first approached AJ, kneeling in the riverbed.

“They put a hand on his shoulder and comforted him … and he gave a big smile towards him as well,” he said.

A NSW ambulance spokesman, Gerry Pike, said apart from some lacerations on the boy’s lower legs, his condition was “remarkable” considering how long he had been missing.

Temperatures dropped to as low as 6C on the three nights AJ was missing.

“It was inherent that he is a little survivor,” he said.

“Once Mum and Dad were cuddling him, his spirits picked up. He was on the back of the ambulance for about 1.5 hours … sleeping the whole time, which wasn’t surprising. Once he woke up, all he wanted to to do was eat.

“He got stuck into about three slices of pizza and a banana so he is pretty good.”

Chapman said over the weekend more than 130 people were involved in the search of the property and volunteers were helping police on foot and on dirt bikes.

Seven search and rescue teams were combing the property on Monday.

His parents, Anthony and Kelly Elfalak, moved to the property with AJ’s

three brothers just months ago as Elfalak’s work as a plumber had dried up amid the Covid-19 lockdown.

Earlier, his family expressed concerns the boy had been abducted after police seized a ute from a property at Bulga, 78 km northeast of where he had last been seen.

“This boy has never wandered off, this is out of character for him,” his father said.

“Yes, he is on the spectrum but he is the loveliest boy you will ever meet.”

Merrick said he expected AJ would spend the night in hospital for observations.