Kanhangad: A two-year-old boy was accidentally left behind on the roadside after his family failed to notice that he had gotten out of their parked car. The child was walking alone along the roadside in the direction in which the car had gone when a passer-by noticed him.

The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, when the car was parked near the bus stand. It is said that the child had got out of the car unobtrusively as one of the occupants stepped out to buy a bottle of water from a roadside shop. The car continued its journey with the other passengers, leaving the toddler behind without being aware of his absence.

Left stranded on the roadside, the child began walking in the direction the car had taken. After walking a few metres, a passer-by noticed the toddler and immediately picked him up. The child was taken to a nearby police aid post, where officers gave him water. As people gathered around, the little boy began to cry.

About ten minutes later, the family, who are natives of Kuniya, realised that the child was not with them and started retracing their route to search for him.

When the child’s uncle had got out of the car to buy water, two or three children had also alighted. The uncle said they resumed the journey thinking that everyone had boarded. The boy stopped crying as soon as he saw his mother and relatives.