Danny and Dina Kogan, the parents of 4-year-old Yuval, who was found after being missing for more than a day, said last night in an interview with "Ulpan Shishi" on Channel 12 that they are "very excited and happy.".
Yuval was found in Holot Nitzanim, tired but healthy, and shortly thereafter he fell asleep in his parents' arms.
""He quickly made up for all the meals he missed with lots of sweets, lots of popsicles and cakes," the father said. "He even asked the pilot himself for water.".
According to the parents, the boy shared with them his experiences while he was alone in the field. Danny described the moment his son approached him: "One of the first things he said was that he wanted to tell me a secret," the father said. "He said, 'Dad, why didn't you pick me up?'".
Yuval told his parents that he was sleeping under a large tree, saw a helicopter and a ship, and heard sounds in the sky, which were apparently the security forces' flares.
According to the father, Yuval walked about five kilometers alone: "He had a white hat that he kept on at all times, and that may have been the thing that kept him safe.".
The search operation brought together enormous forces that included more than 5,000 volunteers who came from all over the country despite the intense heat.
Danny described the night the family spent: "We had a very difficult night, we were very afraid and worried, but we always maintained hope and faith and prayed. In the end, a miracle happened to us, a real miracle.".
He added: "Our life as a family came back to us" as soon as they heard about Yuval's finding.
At the end of the interview, the parents wanted to thank everyone who helped with the efforts. "Thank you to the two dear people, Nati Biton from Moshav Emunim and Noam Simchi from Ashdod," they said. "Two great heroes, messengers of God who gave us back our jubilee and gave us back the wind in our sails.".
I have all the details about his location:
Yuval's testimony was found reliable by a child investigator. Suspicion of criminal charges was ruled out.
About 5-7 minutes passed from the moment the father told Yuval that he could go explore nature until he noticed that he was gone.
While the family members were looking for him south, Yuval had already walked alone north.
The findings indicate that Yuval walked alone for about 4 kilometers, without food or drink. He stopped occasionally to rest, and at a certain point consciously chose to stay in a shady place - a decision that probably saved his life.
Yuval was finally located about a kilometer from Nitzanim Beach.
