| Tears of relief as missing boy turns up at home |
A FIVE-year-old boy who had been the subject of an increasingly desperate search in treacherous bushland near Tin Can Bay, turned up safe and well last night at his parent's home.
Increasingly desperate searchers were pondering the chances of the boy's overnight survival, as darkness fell and weather conditions deteriorated.
Then came the news.
The boy and his two dogs returned home, after spending the day in bushland quite close to his parent's home at Wallu, near Tin Can Bay.
Delighted police confirmed at 6.15pm that the boy had arrived at his parents' door, unaware that he had been the centre of a nation's concern and one of the biggest land and air search in the area ever.
People familiar with the area feared the boy had wandered into almost featureless bush and swamp country at the rear of the Camp Kerr army training base.
"You wouldn't find anyone in some of that scrub," a firefighter said.
AS darkness fell and weather conditions deteriorated late yesterday, the ground level search for a lost boy was continuing with increasing urgency.
At least 18 State Emergency Service volunteers joined in during the afternoon, helping comb through treacherous and swampy country at Wallu.
Gympie inspector Stephen Donnelly established a forward command base at the Camp Kerr army training facility in Tin Can Bay Rd and all Tin Can Bay police were involved.
Police searchers complained about vicious mosquitoes and sandflies and one local said these were not the worst of the torments a lost child would face overnight.
"There's wild pigs there too," he said.
The boy was accompanied by two dogs, a ridgeback and a puppy.
They were still with him when he arrived at his frantic family's doorstep, after spending the day in a small area of bush between their backyard at suburban Cooloola Cove.
He had last been seen about 10.30am and the search was under way within an hour.
Searchers included a large contingent of police from Tin Can Bay, Rainbow Beach and Gympie stations, along with dog squad and motorcycle and mounted police.
The RACQ CareFlight rescue helicopter service was also involved in what had seemed at times like an almost hopeless search effort.
The boy and his parents live near the corner of Tin Can Bay Rd and Rainbow Beach Rd and he and his two canine companions are believed to have spent the day between his backyard and nearby suburban Cooloola Cove.
He turned up at home about 6.15pm
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