A desperate hunt a toddler is underway after he vanished while playing in a garden on holiday. Two-year-old Émile was playing in the garden in Le Vernet in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence on Saturday when he went missing on Saturday.
Emile's grandparents had been preparing for a day out when they went to collect him from the garden before realising he had disappeared. François Balique, the mayor of Le Vernet, told French TV: "The family was getting ready to leave the house to go on an outing.
"He took advantage of this fleeting moment [of inattention] to leave. His grandparents realised he was no longer there when they went to put him in the car."
Émile’s grandparents alerted the authorities about 5.15pm local time, sparking a huge search with police, firefighters, a search helicopter, drones and sniffer dogs. Le Vernet is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, and in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in southeastern France.
The village is surrounded by mountains, valleys and woodland - with images from the scene showing villagers and tourists searching wilderness spots. Balique said there was no suggestion the boy had been abducted, adding: "It’s a small village with 20 or so houses … we see everything".
Police described the child as 3ft tall with brown eyes and blonde hair and said he was wearing a yellow top, white shorts with a green pattern, and hiking shoes when he disappeared. They have called on anyone with information to come forward.
