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Three-year-old missing for 18 hours found in 'Easter miracle'

The father of the three-year-old boy who went missing on Saturday night in the NSW bushland has described finding his son safe and well as an "Easter miracle".

James Skillen, who was found 18 hours after wandering from a campsite near Mudgee in the NSW central west during the Easter long weekend, has been handed back into the arms of his emotional parents.

The little boy was last seen about 5pm on Saturday with his family on a property on Old Ilford Road, Razorback, about 69km south of Mudgee.

James Skillen was reunited with his family after spending the night lost in NSW bushland. Source: 7 News
James Skillen was reunited with his family after spending the night lost in NSW bushland. Source: 7 News
Source: 7 News
Source: 7 News

Members of the public from the small nearby town of Sofala joined the search and found the boy "safe and well" wandering along a 4WD bush track just before midday on Sunday, a NSW Police spokeswoman confirmed.

He was found five kilometres from where he had last been seen.

Following the little boy's reunion with his family on Sunday morning, his relieved father Peter told reporters of his son's adventure in the bush.

The boy's relieved father described finding his son safe and well as an
The boy's relieved father described finding his son safe and well as an

"He tried to jump on a kangaroo this morning, 'cause he thought the kangaroo might take him home," he said.

James was then flown in a PolAir chopper to a paddock where his parents were waiting and a policeman placed him in the arms of his mother, who held him tightly amid cheers of joy from the gathered crowd.

James and his parents then climbed into a waiting ambulance so the boy could be assessed by paramedics.

An emotional Mr Skillen thanked members of public and emergency services, saying his son was in good spirits after the chopper ride.

"He was very chirpy, he was very happy he got to ride in a helicopter."

"It's an Easter miracle, it's just amazing and we just can't thank the emergency services so much for everything they've done," he said.

The extensive search of the 100-acre area by police, NSW Ambulance, the Rural Fire Service, SES and the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association brought no sign of the boy, prompting police to issue an alert in the early hours of Sunday.

James Skillen was last seen at his family's campsite before he went missing. Source: NSW Police
James Skillen was last seen at his family's campsite before he went missing. Source: NSW Police

The three-year-old was found just before midday on Easter Sunday, alive and well by members of the public on a 4WD track.

A large-scale search group including police, sniffer dogs, NSW Ambulance, the Rural Fire Service, SES, the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association and locals had spent Saturday night and Sunday morning searching the rugged terrain and farmland which included several dams.

Overnight temperatures dropped to 15C and the mercury had hit 33C by midday Sunday.