The wide-reaching amateur radio connections of one radio club in West Bengal has helped a speech- and hearing-impaired teenager find his way back to his family in Bihar, more than 500 km, or 310 miles away.

An attorney who spotted him in distress on the street had stopped to help, according to the Times of India. The attorney told the Times that the teen had difficulty hearing and speaking, prompting him to alert local authorities on his behalf. He urged police to attempt to identify him and find his family -- but attempts yielded only dead ends. Police referred the teen to a voluntary organisation that could provide safe shelter. Meanwhile, the lawyer contacted the West Bengal Radio Club, which is well-known for using its ham radio network to help track down families of persons who have gone missing.

As always, the hams soon had results after conducting its customary outreach, which included distribution of a photograph. Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA, the club's secretary, told the newspaper that with the help of other hams, the 18-year-old and his family were soon identified as residents of Bihar. The hams learned from his father and older brother that he had gone missing 14 months ago. The details of his disappearance were not clear.

As of July 4th, arrangements were being made to return him to Bihar, where he is enrolled in the local public school.