Toddler lost in Australian woods for 3 days out of hospital

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A 3-year-old boy who spent three nights lost in rugged Australian woodland is home playing with toys as his family and rescuers celebrate the happy ending to a desperately difficult search. Anthony “AJ” Elfalak, who has autism and is non-verbal, was taken to a hospital for observation after he was found Monday sitting in a shallow creek and drinking water with cupped hands on his family’s remote rural property north of Sydney. His mother brought him home on Monday night to sleep in his own bed. She thanked emergency services officers and volunteers who had taken part in the search since Friday.