With their eye on the prize a man and his younger brother chased a chicken into bushland only to find themselves desperately lost and a young boy left alone in an idling vehicle.
The vehicle, with its engine running and headlights blazing at Waterfall in the Royal National Park just south of Sydney, alerted a passerby to the plight of the 4-year-old about 8.45am on Sunday.
Police were able to reunite the youngster with his mother who told police her son had been in the vehicle with his 27-year-old father and the father's 14-year-old brother.
A search began soon after with local police, police rescue, Polair, the Police Dog Unit and volunteers.
Several hours later in bushland south of where the car was left the pair were found no worse for wear, but perhaps a little chastened.
They told police the teenager had run into bushland chasing a chicken, closely followed by his older brother but then things went wrong.
Not knowing the way back out of the dense bushland, the brothers became lost, and had to wait for rescue.
Once the family were reunited the police said that no further action would be taken.
