A young boy who was missing for days in a forest in Vietnam has been found alive.

On Saturday, August 17, six-year-old Dang Tien Lam was playing outside with his siblings in the northwestern province of Yen Bai when he wandered away from the group, according to the BBC and The Independent.

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Fortunately, a farmer in the area heard Lam’s cries for help on Wednesday, August 21, and the boy was found sitting in the bushes about six kilometers from where he first disappeared, according to The Independent.

“I picked him up and he said he was tired and hungry and asked if I had anything to eat,” said 52-year-old Ly Van Nang, according to the online newspaper.

According to The Independent, more than 200 people, including local police, soldiers, militia and volunteers, joined forces to search for Lam.

While the search was still ongoing, local investigators also used surveillance footage to ensure that Lam had not been abducted, according to the online newspaper, and drained ponds and rivers to rule out the possibility of his drowning.

After Lam’s rescue, police called it a “miracle” that he was found alive, according to the newspaper.

As for how he survived, Agence France Presse reported that the boy drank water from a stream and ate leaves and fruits he found in the wild.

When the boy’s mother learned that he was still alive, she was naturally overjoyed. “I was so happy that my child came back alive,” she said, according to the news agency.

Police further told the news agency that although he was found in a weakened condition, he is “now doing well.”