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HALIFAX, N.S. – A seven-year-old boy who spent two frigid nights in a densely wooded area after wandering away from his Cape Breton home has died, officials at a Halifax children’s hospital said Tuesday.

Jocelyn Vine, vice-president of patient care for the IWK Health Centre, said James Delorey died earlier in the day.

“It is with our deepest regret to advise you that James Delorey passed away at the IWK Health Centre early this morning,” Vine told a news conference.

Vine then read a statement from Delorey’s family: “The family would like to thank everyone involved in James’s care. It was amazing to see how everyone came together. It really kept my hopes alive. We will have more to say later after we’ve had some time.”

Delorey was airlifted to the hospital Monday, hours after he was found suffering from severe hypothermia in a wooded area.

The boy was reportedly unconscious when he was located by ground search teams near South Bar, outside Sydney.

His dog, a mixed-breed named Chance, had emerged from a marshy forest about two hours earlier, spurring searchers to redouble their efforts to find the boy.

Police said Delorey had wandered away from his home in South Bar on Saturday afternoon while following the dog, triggering a massive search involving hundreds of people and three aircraft.

Within hours of his disappearance, a large snowstorm moved into the region, dumping up to 15 centimetres on some areas.

He wasn’t wearing a winter coat, hat or mittens.

The search was considered particularly difficult because Delorey is autistic and could not speak, which meant he wasn’t expected to respond to searchers’ calls.

He had wandered away before, but he usually showed up not far from his home at a neighbour’s house.

Source:   http://www.660news.com/news/national/more.jsp?content=n082287021

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