AJ Elfalak: Hunter boy’s three-day disappearance labelled ‘misadventure’

For more than three days, Australia held its collective breath as the search for little “AJ” Elfalak gathered concerning pace. This is the story of how police debunked myths around his disappearance.

Within hours of Anthony “AJ” Elfalak going missing – and with growing concerns about what may have happened to the little autistic boy – there were two words that were unofficially banned from conversation by police running the search.

Those words were William Tyrrell.

Because as investigators began theorising the possible scenarios of AJ’s disappearance, there were already glaring similarities with Australia’s most infamous lost child case.

It was just nine days short of the seventh anniversary of William Tyrrell’s disappearance when AJ vanished from the family’s Putty property, which borders on the vast expanses of the Yengo National Park.

And it was thin air type of gone.

AJ Elfalak spent three nights lost in the bush. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Peter Lorimer.

Family were to say that the three-year-old was never known to be a wanderer. In fact, he barely left his mother’s side.

The terrain surrounding the property was rugged and inhospitable – not country where three-year-olds could easily walk away in a hurry.

There was talk of missing CCTV and constant commentary from family friends of their fears AJ had been abducted.

So although the words remained unsaid, the concerns about another William Tyrrell scenario were not lost on anyone.

“Upon AJ going missing, the priority was obviously to look for and find him,’’ Northern Region commander Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said on Friday.

“But we also immediately launched a parallel investigation to look at whether there was any third party intervention, which we would consider best practice these days.’’

A view from PolAir of the moment AJ was found. Picture: NSW Police

And it was best practice. There were a lot of things learnt following the Tyrrell disappearance – such as keeping an open mind and worrying about crime scene evidence from the start of the operation.

On the fourth day of searching, the miracle occurred when a police helicopter found AJ sitting in a creek bed lapping at some water.

Everyone, including seasoned investigators suspicious of the worst-case scenarios, breathed a huge sigh of relief.

But the joy of finding him alive was tempered with wild conspiracy theories about what really happened.

The non-verbal AJ couldn’t help answer the questions about how a little autistic boy could be found less than 500 metres from the home in an area trudged through several times by sniffer dogs and searchers.

And his family also had questions.

Hundreds joined the search for AJ. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Peter Lorimer.

So the police continued their painstaking search for all the answers.

And after more than two months of chasing every lead down the almost endless wombat holes, police have determined that there was nothing sinister in AJ’s three-day disappearance.

In fact, it may have even been the presence of wombat holes which helped AJ survive.

A survival expert has told investigators that, despite the nights’ temperatures dropping to about 2C, AJ could have survived.

There was some evidence around wombat holes that he may have lay in them for shelter. There was also some overhanging rocks near where he was found.

Public Order and Riot Squad members take to the hills around where three year old Anthony AJ Elfalak went missing on Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Peter Lorimer.

And there was an abundance of fresh water to keep him relatively hydrated.

But there was also physical evidence to suggest AJ had spent the entire time alone in the bush.

His soiled nappy was full and was the same one he was wearing when he disappeared.

As detectives pondered, if AJ was abducted and then somehow dropped off again without his abductors being seen, would he be wearing the same full nappy.

His face and body was covered in insect bites consistent with someone spending numerous days in the elements.

Family and friends of missing three year old Anthony AJ Elfalak join in the search. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Peter Lorimer.

He was starving – he tore into three pieces of pizza and a banana as soon as he was found.

In a brief, four-paragraph statement released on Friday, police confirmed the investigation had ended with no suggestion of foul play.

“We are satisfied that AJ was lost in the bush as a result of misadventure and there was nothing untoward regarding any third parties,” Ass Comm McKenna said.

He later added: “Medical advice and expert advice has corroborated the investigation’s findings.’’

And further: “The experts will tell you that you are more chance of surviving at that age because you don’t understand fear.”