A missing boy has been found alive after surviving for more than a week in a sewer in Germany.

The eight-year-old, who has only been named as Joe, went missing from his family garden in Oldenburg on 17 June, sparking a large police search.

He was finally discovered on Saturday morning, when a passer-by heard a noise come from a manhole cover.

Police have now ruled out any foul play, stating the boy crawled into the sewer on the day he went missing.

After firefighters pulled the boy from the sewer - which was about 300 metres from his home - he was taken to hospital suffering from hypothermia, but had no major injuries.

Police broke the news by tweeting: "Eight-year-old Joe lives!"

"Thanks to a tip from the public, we were able to find Joe in a sewer system," police chief Johann Kühme said.

"The most important thing is that he is alive and was immediately taken to a hospital where he is in good hands. We can all breathe a sigh of relief."

His father told local media Joe was "doing well" given the circumstances.

There had been speculation as to how the boy end up in the sewer, but police on Tuesday said he had crawled inside and then "lost his bearings."(BBC)

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