RILEY Martin, missing since lunchtime yesterday, has been found.
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The four-year-old, who has down syndrome, was found in bush land near Nambucca's Shelly beach after the extensive search resumed this morning.
With some 200 people assisting with the search, it was a couple from Kempsey, Leif O'Brien and Sally Pratley, who had travelled from Kempsey after they read about his disappearance on Facebook, who found little Riley at 7am.
They phoned police and asked what they could do to help out who informed the couple they could come and help.
"We have children of our own, that’s why we came up,” Ms Pratley wept.
"We heard a dog bark and ran towards it and found him face down curled up underneath a bush,” Ms Pratley said. "We didn’t know if he was alive until he turned his head and we were so relieved.
"He was freezing cold and we kept giving him assurance and told him we were taking him back to his mum."
NSW Ambulance Paramedics checked him over at the command centre at Coronation Park before he was taken to Macksville Hospital as a precaution.
Riley was first reported missing about noon yesterday.
He was wearing red pyjamas and a black top and had his family’s three dogs for company.
Police co-ordinated a search involving volunteers from the State Emergency Service, Volunteer Rescue Association, Rural Fire Service, Marine Rescue, Local Surf Clubs and various police units.
A number of members of the public also assisted in the search – including, happily, the Kempsey couple.
