Police are trying to figure out how a missing 8-year-old boy survived for eight days in a sewer in northern Germany.
The boy, whom authorities have only identified as Joe, was discovered alive under a manhole cover Saturday after a passerby heard a noise coming from the sewer, Newsweek reported. The location authorities rescued him from was reportedly close to his house. He was found naked, cold and dehydrated, according to Euronews. (RELATED: Autistic Boy Missing For Three Years Found 700 Miles Away Shivering Outside Gas Station)
Following the rescue, Joe was transported to the hospital, where he was recovering and receiving treatment, Newsweek reported.
Police say there are no signs of foul play in the case of an eight-year-old boy who was found in a rainwater sewer more than a week after going missing in northern Germany. https://t.co/E9vaSuVJyL
— 48 Hours (@48hours) June 29, 2022
Joe had apparently gone missing June 17 from his home in Oldenburg, according to CNN. Police believe the boy was playing when he climbed into a drainage pipe and then gained access to the sewer through a canal, the outlet reported.
“Thanks to a tip from the public, we were able to find Joe in a sewer system today,” Police Chief Johann Kuehme said, according to the Newsweek. “We can all breathe a sigh of relief.”
“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,” Stephan Klatte, a police spokesman, stated, according to CNN.
