German authorities confirmed that they have found an 8-year-old boy, Joe, living down in the sewers after he went missing for 8 entire days.
Joe was eventually rescued from the sewer system after a passer-by in the local area heard noises coming from a manhole cover early on Saturday morning and alerted the emergency services, the Oldenburg-Stadt / Ammerland police department said in a statement Tuesday.
Joe was found just 1,000 feet from his home address and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for hypothermia and dehydration.
Police said they didn't believe anyone else was involved in the incident.
Joe went missing on June 17 and 8 days laters someone just happened to hear a noise coming from the sewer. He had only made it 1,000 feet away in the 8 days.
Immediately after the rescue, investigators started scanning the drainage system for clues to how he disappeared.
The authorities concluded Joe most likely climbed into a concrete drainage pipe while playing, and then crawled into the sewer system through a canal and got lost after several meters.
Investigators said that, between the entrance to the drainage system and the place where Joe was found, there are drainage manhole shafts and junctions at regular intervals where he was able to stand up.
Joe told police in an initial statement that he became increasingly disoriented while stuck in the sewers and was unable to find his way out.
This is completely terrifying. A little boy playing outside like little boys are supposed to do somehow found himself completely lost inside a sewer system.
Thank God that, by a sheer miracle, Joe was found.
"We are so happy – truly," said police spokesman Stephan Klatte, according to CNN affiliate N-TV.
"That is absolute luck. Of course, there was a possibility that we wouldn't find the child there. Possibly – if he had not made a sound or these noises would not have been heard, then we may not have found him there at all," Klatte added.
Again, what a miracle!
P.S. Now check out our latest video 👇
