The Rusc area of Romania where the youngster vanished is known for large carnivores, with recent heavy rain and cold overnight temperatures adding to the risks, making his survival all the more incredible

A five year old boy who disappeared in a forest inhabited by bears has been discovered safe and well after spending nearly three days alone in unforgiving wilderness.

Toma-Alexandru Zerestea, widely known as Alex, went missing on Monday afternoon in the Rusc area on the edge of Sebișu de Jos, Romania, while his father was carrying out repairs on an electric fence.

In a brief moment of distraction, the youngster wandered into the woodland and could not be located.

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Hundreds of rescue personnel — including police, gendarmes, firefighters, mountain rescuers, volunteers and soldiers, equipped with search dogs, drones and thermal imaging equipment — launched an intensive operation across challenging mountainous terrain.

The region is well known for large carnivores, with recent torrential rain and freezing overnight temperatures heightening the dangers considerably.

At around 1pm on Wednesday, the boy was spotted from a Black Hawk helicopter operated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ General Inspectorate of Aviation, approximately 1.5 miles from where he had vanished.

Search-and-rescue operator Mihail Soare was winched down on a trolley to reach the child, who was conscious and sheltering amongst the trees.

Soare remained with young Alex, keeping him warm until ground teams arrived, as reported by NeedToKnow.

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The rescuer subsequently said: “It is a very emotional moment, I did not think I would ever live something like this.

“I have two children of my own, the emotion was overwhelming.”

Alex was taken to the Sibiu Clinical Paediatric Hospital.

Medical staff found him stable and in good overall condition despite exhaustion and exposure, with no serious injuries reported.

His father said he was “shaking with happiness” after the family was reunited.

Romanian authorities described the outcome as a miracle given the dangers of the Carpathian forest environment.

Police have opened a routine inquiry into the circumstances, but early indications point to the boy simply wandering off.

EastEnders spoilers follow for Thursday’s (May 14) episode, which can now be streamed on BBC iPlayer. The episode in question will air at 7:30pm.

Bea Pollard (Ronni Ancona) well and truly found herself out in the cold in EastEnders after Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) refused to let her worm her way back into his and Honey’s (Emma Barton) home.

Billy was left reeling earlier this week when he discovered that Bea, who he long suspected was up to no good, had taken out a credit card in Honey’s name, wracking up thousands of pounds worth of debt.

Honey contemplated going to the police and reporting her for fraud but knowing Bea could go to jail, she reconsidered. Billy, however, was less forgiving and ordered the lodger out of their home.

In a bid to get revenge on Billy, who she felt always got in the way of her bond with Honey, Bea tampered with the ladder that he was all set to do the guttering with.

But little did she know that it would be Honey who would scale the ladder, resulting in the former market inspector suffering a devastating fall which will leave her out of action for weeks.

Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) suspect sinister Bea was the one to blame for the incident, with Billy sharing such a theory. Bea, however, cleverly covered her tracks, claiming to have been working at McKlunkeys when Honey took the tumble.

Honey forced Billy to apologise to Bea, who used the situation to her advantage, hoping to move back in with the couple upon learning that Honey will be needing surgery.

Billy, however, saw through her game and told her off, ordering her to remove her belongings from their house before he got home. Bea once again attempted to secure her future under their roof, gaining entry to the property and making food but her efforts failed to have a positive effect on Billy, who once again ordered her out.

As the episode came to an end, Bea was seen sleeping in McKunkeys against a number of bin bags. Is this the end of her attempt to remain in Honey and Billy’s life? Has her reign of terror come to an end?

You’d think so, but there’s one part of this storyline that hasn’t yet been realised – and it will likely spell more heartache for Billy and Hon.

Bea, as viewers will recall, previously downloaded what appeared to be an AI app, which she used to record Billy’s voice – before simulating a fake message from the market tradesman.

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What exactly she intends to do with said app remains to be seen but, with Honey out of action in hospital, will Bea perhaps use this as her opportunity to prey upon Billy’s vulnerability and garner the voice recordings she’ll require to create fake conversations with the patriarch, which she could use to drive a wedge between he and Honey?

‘It’s going to get so much darker for Honey and Billy,’ star Ronni Ancona warned. ‘‘I would say that Bea increasingly spirals, and she becomes more dangerous as a result.’

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer. 

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Levi Loveridge fled the scene and left the two people in the other car seriously injured.

A man who caused a crash by driving at 91mph that left two people seriously injured has been jailed. Levi Loveridge, 32, of Whittlesey Road, March, fled the scene of the crash in North Bank, Thorney, at around 12.45am on June 29 last year.

Loveridge had been driving a black Volvo V40 east along a 60mph-limit stretch of road along the River Nene near the junction with the B1040 North Side before he crashed into an oncoming Toyota Yaris. The crash caused the Volvo to leave to road and stop in an embankment.

The Toyota was forced backwards into a verge. Loveridge fled the scene and left the driver and passenger in the car with serious injuries.

Both were taken to hospital. The driver underwent surgery for a shattered thigh bone and the passenger was treated for a fractured back and hip injuries.

Loveridge was found by officers five days later when they returned to his home and found him limping and wearing a medical boot. Investigators found the Volvo had been travelling at 91mph before the impact and around 79mph at the moment of the crash.

The Toyota had only been travelling at around 20mph. During a police interview, Loveridge admitted he had been driving but said he had little memory of the incident and believed he had hit his head in the crash.

Loveridge was sentenced to two years in prison at Cambridge Crown Court on Tuesday, May 12, after pleading guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was also disqualified from driving for three years and must taken an extended test before being allowed to drive again.

PC Pete Smith, from the Road Policing Unit, said: “This was a completely avoidable collision caused by excessive speed. Driving at such high speeds, particularly on rural roads with bends and changing limits, significantly increases the risk of serious injury or worse.

“Two people suffered life-changing injuries in this crash, but Loveridge chose the cowardly option of leaving fleeing than seeking help. We continue to urge all motorists to drive within the limits and take responsibility for their actions on the road.”

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Then there is Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, currently marooned outside Parliament and so unable to take part in any immediate leadership race unless he can demonstrate he can get a move on – find a seat, persuade the party to let him stand, and hope that the timeframe of any contest means he can play a part in it.