Four-year-old Yuval Kogan was found alive and unharmed on Friday afternoon, almost 24 hours after disappearing during a family outing on Ashkelon’s northern coastline.
Footage from the rescue showed one of the searchers celebrating as he held and kissed the child, repeatedly shouting that Yuval had been found.
The boy was discovered standing beneath a tree in the area of the coastal dunes. One of those involved in locating him said Yuval had been looking toward the searchers when they approached.
Yuval vanished at around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday while picnicking with his father and two older sisters. The family had been visiting the northern beach when he entered an area of thick vegetation and disappeared from view.
Security-camera footage recorded Yuval with his father and sisters shortly before he went missing. His father later told search teams that the child had been directly behind him moments before he realized he was gone.
The disappearance prompted an extensive search involving emergency personnel, security forces, volunteers and members of the public.
Before Yuval was located, his mother, pediatrician Dr. Dina Kogan, warned that the length of time he had spent alone placed him in immediate danger and urged authorities to use every available resource.