Canadian boy floats unharmed down river on toy truck

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - A Canadian boy celebrating his third birthday was unhurt and apparently unfazed after he floated 12 km (7.8 miles) down a river riding atop his toy truck, police said on Monday.

The boy's family was camping at a popular park near Fort St. John, in northeastern British Columbia, on Sunday when the boy wandered off unnoticed and somehow entered the nearby Peace River, Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.

The boy's parents at first thought he was playing with other relatives at the campsite. But police were later alerted and had begun a search when a boater found the boy, and the toy, about 12 km away.

After a nearly two-hour journey down the swift-moving river the boy had no injuries, and was apparently unaware of the danger he had been in.

"He was very excited to see the police," said RCMP Constable Jackelynn Passarell.

A local news report said the boy also made sure the boater who found him also retrieved the toy truck.

(Reporting Allan Dowd, editing by Peter Galloway)