Family dog stays with lost boy for 17 hours on Vietnam mountain

A family dog stayed by a six-year-old boy's side for 17 hours overnight on a mountain in Dak Lak, more than 10 km from home, until they were found the next morning.

The boy, a resident of Song Cau Ward, had left home around 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 12.

His family initially assumed he was playing nearby, but when an hour passed without his return, they began searching.

After reviewing security camera footage from neighboring homes, they realized the boy had wandered off with their dog following closely behind. Authorities, joined by local residents, searched for the child the evening through the early hours of the next morning, eventually expanding their search area.

At around 9:00 a.m. on Sept. 13, the boy was discovered in an acacia plantation in the Ong Dinh mountain area.

Authorities help carry a boy down the mountain where he got lost in Dak Lak Province. Photo by police

Truong Van Dan, a 34-year-old local resident, was the first to spot him. After comparing the child's appearance to information from online search alerts, he approached and found the boy completely exhausted.

Dan immediately called for others to bring water and bread and notified the police to help bring the child down the mountain.

When rescuers arrived, they found the dog right beside the boy, refusing to leave his side. While the dog cautiously backed away when strangers approached, he never took his eyes off his young companion.

The search team believes the loyal dog, named "Den" (Blackie), had watched over the child throughout the entire night on the mountain. Den continued to follow closely as authorities escorted the boy down to safety. The dog ran alongside rescuers as they carried the boy and kept checking on him all the way down to the mountain.

However, when police placed the child into a vehicle, the dog became confused. Seemingly thinking he had lost his owner again, Den rushed back toward the forest to search for him.

The boy's mother, Nguyen Thi Mai, explained that Den is a local mixed-breed the family has kept for about two years.

Because her son has developmental delays, Den frequently stays close to him during his daily routines. "If the dog had not stayed beside him throughout last night, I don't know what would have happened to my son," Mai said.

Den the dog in a photo provided by the boy's family.

Dan noted that the route from the boy's home to the plantation passes through a mountainous forest with incredibly dense vegetation.

"It's difficult even for adults to get through, so I don't know how the boy managed to get here," he remarked.

Mai expressed her family's overwhelming joy at finding their son safe, noting that his health was stable and he had no injuries.

She later told local reporters on Sunday that when her husband went back to the forest to search for their dog, it recognized his voice and was safely reunited with the family.