A 3-year-old boy was found alive after spending three days lost in the woods, and a survival expert says all kids should learn basic skills to stay safe.
Jubilation came over a North Carolina mom and dad as their missing toddler was found safe after three days lost in the woods in freezing rain and bitter cold.
Survival expert Shane Hobel said every child should be taught the basics of what to do if they get lost in the woods.
"One of the best ways to navigate brier and bramble and any of these thorns is when in doubt, you can step on the plant and it just mashes it down. Don’t forget there are game paths and trails out there," he told Inside Edition.
Three-year-old Casey Hathaway was discovered by a search team, trapped in thorn bushes and cold.
"Casey said he hung out with a bear for two days," his aunt posted on Facebook. "God sent him a friend to keep him safe ... Miracles do happen."
As for that bear Casey says befriended him, Hobel said, "It is absolutely plausible. It has been known to happen before."
Casey is a fan of the cartoon show "Paw Patrol," which has a bear character. Black bears are common in North Carolina, found in about 60 percent of the state's land area, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
Casey wandered off Tuesday after playing with two other kids in his grandmother’s yard.
“My grandson has walked in the woods back there and we can't find him. He's 3,” his grandmother told 911. “We've been looking all in the woods for him.”
Searchers feared the worst as the temperature dipped to 31 degrees. Casey was found just a quarter-mile from his grandmother’s house.
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