Missing 8-Year-Old Boy In Germany Found Alive In Sewer After Eight Days

An 8-year-old boy has been found alive after surviving for more than a week in a sewer in Germany. 

According to BBC, the boy, who has only been named as Joe, disappeared from his family garden in Oldenburg on 17 June, sparking a large police search. He was finally discovered on Saturday morning, 25 June, when a passer-by heard a faint whimpering sound coming from a manhole cover. 

The incident ended with the 8-year-old being rescued and taken to the hospital where he is now recovering from his ordeal. Police have ruled out any foul play, stating that the boy crawled into the sewer on the day he went missing. 

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After being alerted to the whispering noise, the fire department and an emergency doctor arrived on the scene 10 minutes later. As per Newsweek, they lifted a manhole cover in the road leading to the storm drain sewer. A fireman then climbed down and pulled the boy out from the sewer - which was about 300 metres from his home. 

According to the outlet, Police Chief Johann Kuehme said, "Thanks to a tip from the public, we were able to find Joe in a sewer system today. The most important thing is that he is alive and was immediately taken to a hospital where he is in good hands. We can all breathe a sigh of relief."

Separately, police spokesperson Stephan Klatte informed that the boy was hypothermic but responsive. He suffered no major injuries and there was no danger to his life. 

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Police are now investigating how it was possible for the 8-year-old, who reportedly suffers from a slight mental development disorder, to survive for so long down the storm drain. There had been speculation as to how the boy ended up in the sewer, but police later said that he had crawled inside and then “lost his bearings”.