Source = http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103904441&ft=1&f=1003

NPR.org, May 7, 2009 · Thirsty, dirty and tired after spending two days and nights barely clothed in the wet, chilly woods of Missouri's Mark Twain National Forest, 3-year-old Joshua Childers was ready to go home.

The boy was lying on the ground of a hollow near a creek bottom Wednesday afternoon when a volunteer searcher spied his bare bottom.

"Hey, bud!" called out Donnie Halpin, a 57-year-old construction worker from nearby Fredericktown, who wasn't sure whether the grimy figure was even alive.

But Joshua sat right up and grinned at his rescuer.

"You ready to go home?" Halpin asked.

"Yeah," Joshua said.

The boy was wet and wearing only a T-shirt and one tennis shoe. Halpin called 911, then wrapped the child in his shirt, scooped him up and carried him about a half-mile to a house.

"He hung on to me pretty tight," said Halpin, who didn't have any water for the child but gave him some candy. "Outside of a few scratches, he was in really good shape."

Joshua had slipped out of his family's mobile home near Arcadia in rural southeast Missouri around 11:30 a.m. Monday, while his father slept and his mother talked on the phone.

Terry Schulte, the boy's grandmother, told KSDK-TV that Joshua told her he was on his way to visit her. She lives about 5 miles from his home, and he was found covered in ticks about a half-mile away. Somewhere along the way, he lost his pull-up diaper and one of his sneakers, which searchers found near a pond Monday.

Halpin discovered Joshua around 4 p.m. Wednesday while walking along an all-terrain vehicle trail about three miles from the boy's home, after first spotting some stray dogs sniffing at something.

"I'm going to put him up for the Grizzly Adams Award, send him bear-hunting with a stick," his overjoyed father, Adam Childers, told reporters, marveling at his son's survival skills.

"It's undescribable how grateful we are," Childers said. "I mean, you doubt if God's actually with you for awhile, and then something like this happens, and you know he's there."

Madison County Sheriff David Lewis said searchers had been growing increasingly pessimistic about their chances of finding Joshua alive. He figured three days was about the limit for the boy's survival in the wild without food and water.

"It's a miracle," Lewis said. "I'm so happy, you can't believe it."

Hundreds of volunteers from as far away as St. Louis, 100 miles to the northeast, came to help in the search. So did professional search and rescue crews from dozens of agencies. The Missouri State Highway Patrol brought in planes. The state Water Patrol brought in divers and sonar. Dozens of dogs, horses, ATVs and even donkeys scattered in the miles around the tiny home that sits along the wild, rocky terrain of the Mark Twain National Forest.

The area is home to bears, mountain lions and snakes. Heavy rain Tuesday night and Wednesday morning swelled creeks in the area.

"I don't know how he did it," Adam Childers said. "I don't know grown men that could do it. But all I can say is he's a tough little bugger."

Doctors have told him that his son is a little dehydrated but otherwise fine, Childers said. The child was evaluated and listed in fair condition, first at Iron County Hospital and later at Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Crystal City, where he was transferred because it has a larger pediatric unit.

The boy has been asking for milk and hot dogs since his rescue, Childers said.

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This is an act of God. Seriously. He had that boy in His hands and God guided him to safety. It's nice to see a Good story in the news!

Wow, that is an amazing story!

The only reason i dont like this story is cause they say its because of god. There is missing children everywhere, this is a mere accident that someone happened to be walking in that area at the time. What about that poor girl in ontario whos been missing for some time now? where is god for her?

I can understand your frustration. However, I disagree with you on one thing.

"mere accident that someone happened to be walking in that area at the time"

There was a search and rescue team there, so it wasn't just "someone walking around" at the time time. They were looking for the boy.

To answer where is God for the other girl? God is there, and He knows what He's doing. Maybe this girl was murdered? Maybe, she was kidnapped? Sometimes God gives people the choices (including murders, rapists, molestor, robbers) the choice to do something and they choose wrong. Purpose this young girl wondered off like this poor boy and they just havent' found her yet.

All in all nothing I say can ease your mind. But this is what I believe.

That's the sillyest thing I've ever heard.

So what if she was murdered or kidnapped why say that that is something god decided? Where can I sign up to worship that? A god that decides to spare one child over another. I think I would be pissed off a lot more if I chose that kind of thought pattern

Lovely. Yet another beginning to yet another "Your God doesn't really exist, that or He really isn't that loving" argument.

Keep it about the story, people.

So, according to you, God is supposed to take away all of man's free will in order to prove 1)that He exists, or 2)that He's a loving God?

If He were to take away man's free will (which also means man's ability to choose whether or not to commit some heinous act), you'd be complaining that you don't have a choice.

Those of us who believe in God believe this was an act of God. Those of you who DON'T believe in God are going to mock the beliefs that God had anything to do with this boy being found alive. It's the same old crap, different day. You want to believe it was just luck? FINE, believe it was just luck. But don't get all beligerant because someone who believes in God believes this was a miracle of God proportions.

And your not believing might be the silliest thing I'VE ever heard. No one asked you to agree on the parents believing in God, did they? It's a miracle that a three year old boy survived. Instead of asking where God is for the little girl in Ontario, why not just be happy for this one child that was a survivor? Whether or not you believe in God, you should still be able to be happy about something such as that.

that does not mean that it was God's decision. it was a human's free will to choose to do those things. God cannot control a person's free will. I think that that's the one huge point that people miss when they go off saying "if God is so loving, then why is the world such a terrible place?" there is no such thing as darkness, only absence of light. God's light shines through his believers (which the people in this story were), we can't help and God can't help the choices of sinners. if you don't believe it, then that's you. don't try to convince those that do believe it otherwise. you're just wasting your time.

it really is just unbelievable that you are unhappy with the rescue of a child just because they believed it was God's work. good luck with your bitterness.

Krisstah, first off I agree with You Know Who. I was stating MY BELIEF. And that is exactly why I chose to say,

"All in all nothing I say can ease your mind. But this is what I believe."

Because if you do not believe in God, or Jesus Christ, and understand His truths you will not be eased by my statement. And I did not mean for my reply to come off as though God chose one child over another. I was simply stating that God gives people choices, and God knows the choices they are going to make before they do it. So with the girl, someone may have chose the wrong path.

Did you read what she said? She didn't say God may have chosen for her to be killed. She said God gave people free will. And that means sometimes people will use that will to make evil decisions.

WELL, THE STORY ITSELF ISN'T SAYING IT'S AN ACT OF GOD. NEWS REPORTS OBVIOUSLY CAN'T SAY SUCH THINGS. THEY ARE JUST QUOTING WHAT THE FATHER SAID - HE BELIEVED IT WAS AN ACT OF GOD. AND IT IS CUSTOMARY IN NEWS REPORTS TO QUOTE THE PEOPLE INVOLVED, WHILST RECOGNISING THE SUBJECTIVITY OF THEIR VIEWS.

This could have turned out so much worse. I'm so glad to hear that a child was SAVED for once.

That was me that posted it, and like I said I think it's great to hear something good in the news for once!

God my ass.
It was luck and luck alone.

If God were around, God would probably bestow the gift of better grammar on them. For example, "And your not believing might be the silliest thing I'VE ever heard" would be you're.

It was luck. Coincidence and luck.

Also, if God were around, do you think God would like being called a he? What if God was a woman?

Them being some people, of course.

Oh the irony! lol

ACTUALLY, if you really think about it "YOUR" is accurate in that sentence, and "YOU'RE" is inaccurate.

Think about it, really.

Is she saying
"You are not believing might be the silliest thing I'VE ever heard"

Or is she saying "Your disbelief might be the silliest thing I'VE ever heard"

Option TWO is what she was saying, NOT option one. Which therefore means YOUR grammar was incorrect, and HERS was correct.

Grammar FAIL.

Kate.Monster - in answer to your question, I do not believe God is a women. Not once in the Bible does it say, "She walked with the apostles." Not once. But I do not want to argue over stupid things like that.

"You are not believing might be the silliest thing I'VE ever heard."
Wow. Really?

Sense. You're making none.

Yea I know! Seriously.

hahaha omg you're totally right.
Wow, i need sleep. :-p

*chuckle*

Been there. lol

ohhh thanks goodness!!!
i dont think this is 'Gods' doing, tho.

i love that just because the op [original poster for those not forum savvy] says "thank god" at the bottom that this gets turned into a debate about the existence of a deity.

god's existence and involvement aside, that kid's lucky. a three year old alone in the woods for three days not falling over and smacking his head on something/starving to death/being eaten by something/dying from exposure is insane. i bet the parents may be keeping a better eye on him now.

has anyone here heard about the boy who died in the blue mountains because ambulance call centre people did fuck all to help him? article here. they didn't even pass it on to police for four days.