JEDDAH: Parents of a young boy who went missing briefly recently have described the anguished period they spent searching for the youngster.

Mohammed Athil Munawir Al-Anzi was thankfully found hours after going missing in Al-Guraiyat. According to his father, Mohammed had asked for money to buy a snack from a restaurant at the Al-Aziziyah market in the province.

So when his mother gave him SR10, he quickly went off to the market when she was not paying attention. When he did not return, his father went looking for him. “There were many workers in the area, so I became really scared when I couldn’t find him,” he told a local publication.

“When I couldn’t find him, I immediately informed security patrols in the area and they began searching for him. When they couldn’t locate him, they posted his photograph on social networking sites because they were afraid he had been kidnapped.”

Police eventually found Mohammed near his home, where someone had accompanied him there. Speaking about his experience, Mohammed said the large number of officers and checkpoints helped protect him from danger.

Mohammed’s grateful mother said she had been overcome with fear when he went missing, and praised the local police led by Al-Jouf Police Director Col. Qahat bin Mohammed Al-Qahat for helping to find him. “We want to thank Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for ensuring our country remains safe and protected, and the families and others in the province who helped us search for our son,” she said.

A video on social networking sites went viral showing Mohammed reunited with his parents. His mother is seen rushing toward him as he gets out of a car, crying tears of joy as she embraces him.

Al-Qahat had assigned a security team to locate Mohammed, blocking off the entrances to the province and setting up security checkpoints. A report was received one hour later indicating he was found in good health.

This comes as another family’s anguish ended in Riyadh when their two-year-old abducted daughter was found, and three suspects arrested.