Non-verbal six-year-old boy missing near dense forest

A six-year-old boy, who has autism and is non-verbal, is missing near dense national park in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges.

The boy, whose name is Parfa, wandered off from Olinda Playspace, on a former golf course on Olinda-Monbulk Road at Olinda, on Friday afternoon.

His family last saw him about 4pm before he went missing. Friends and family searched for him for about 30 minutes before reporting his disappearance to police.

Local police officers along with the air wing and State Emergency Services were searching the area as of Friday evening. Victoria Police’s dog squad were also called in, and dedicated search and rescue police were notified about the boy’s disappearance.

Police released a photo of Parfa, who is of Persian appearance, on Friday night. He was wearing denim shorts, and a blue and white t-shirt when he was last seen.

“Police will continue to search for the missing boy throughout the night and into the morning,” Victoria Police said.

Officers urged anyone who might have seen Parfa to call triple zero.

The play space is surrounded by dense forest, and is close to Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden. Olinda Falls is about one hour’s walk from the playground.

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