So? Given both the water and not freezing bit, even seven year olds are surprisingly resilient. Hunger is a big deal, but an otherwise well-fed human can survi

So? Given both the water and not freezing bit, even seven year olds are surprisingly resilient. Hunger is a big deal, but an otherwise well-fed human can survive (miserably) without food for 30 or more days. Most potentially-threatening wildlife (e.g., bears) will do their best to avoid you. So what, exactly, would you have expected a seven year-old to have died of over the course of a week, if not dehydration or freezing? The biggest concern, IMHO, would have been not finding him for several weeks.