Around 500 people came together to look for the missing girl and were almost about to give up when they heard a “faint squeak" which led them to the weak toddler.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on August 27, 2021. It has since been updated.
Lyuda Kuzina, a 22-month-old girl from Russia, wandered off from near her home in the Smolensk region west of Moscow one day and never returned. She was apparently playing outside their family home on August 17, 2021, with her 4-year-old elder sister when she went missing. The mother had gone to a neighbor's home, leaving the siblings alone, which is when the little one decided to go on an adventure by herself.
This caused her mom to go into a frenzy, and hundreds of people came together to look for the toddler. According to New York Post, Kuzina went into an area where wolves and bears are known to prowl around. She had no food or water with her, and people were worried about how she was going to survive.
Nearly 500 people were searching for her. Divers checked nearby reservoirs but found nothing. They kept looking everywhere possible, but in vain. Almost four days into the search, one of the search groups paused for a rest 4km (2.5 miles) from the house and heard a noise. The group of rescuers called out again and they heard a “faint squeak,” for a second time, which then led them to the child. Eventually, they found the child alive but covered in insect bites, states BBC.
“She was weak, bitten all over by insects, but most importantly she was alive,” the rescuer said. “Everyone cried – experienced and first-time volunteers, local residents, everyone was sobbing.”
A 22-month-old girl found alive after four days in a #Russian forest has promised never to disappear again
— Mail Of The Day (@MailOfTheDay) August 24, 2021
#Russia #Moscow #Smolensk #LyudaKuzina #Tyomkinsky
READ: https://t.co/dbJLJ6YRry pic.twitter.com/pdausXZxAL
According to The Moscow Times, the girl “immediately stretched out her thin arms to cling tightly to her rescuers… Everything is finally over.”
"The volunteers told me they hadn't been far away from the spot on the first day," the mother said. "It was only on the fourth day when they heard a 'squeak' that they found her in some branches under a tree." Imagine the woman's relief, knowing that her daughter was alright.
The girl was taken to a local hospital for further inspection where she was found to be okay. She was transferred to the ICU, where she will remain for a few days till she gets her strength back.
It seems like pure luck that the girl was found alive, but she's promised her mother that she wouldn't wander off again. "She's quite adamant she'll never run away from Mum again," said her mother. "Although quite how long she'll remember that promise, I have no idea. But at least she says so." Antonina Kuzina said. As the adage goes, all's well that ends well, isn't it?
References:
https://nypost.com/2021/08/21/russian-baby-survives-three-nights-in-forest-alone/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58315926
Cover Image Source: YouTube | Missing Russian Toddler survives in woods for 3 days | Russia news | NewsRme
