Hospital releases Va. boy who spent 5 days in woods

[November 07, 2011]  RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- An 8-year-old autistic boy who spent five days alone in the woods has been released from a Virginia hospital.

Media outlets report that Robert Wood Jr. was released from VCU Medical Center in Richmond over the weekend. The Caroline County boy suffered a small hole in his esophagus and other minor injuries.

Wood wandered off from his father and others Oct. 23 while on a walk at North Anna Battlefield Park in Hanover County. One of the thousands of volunteers who searched for the boy found him at a nearby rock quarry on Oct. 28.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says the search for Wood ranks among the most intense on record. More than 3,400 people participated in the search.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.