Florida MPs rescue 4-year-old boy with autism from pond
NEAR TAMPA, Florida. (FloridaToday.news) – In a heartbreaking videotaped rescue operation, two Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputies saved the life of a four-year-old boy with autism spectrum after he wandered into a nearby pond.
The incident took place early Tuesday morning at Valleyridge Court, near Tampa.
According to body camera footage posted on Facebook by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 10:30 a.m., a concerned citizen dialed 911, reporting the sighting of a small child running across the street and heading towards the pond. Having promptly responded to the call, the deputies of the State Emergency Service arrived at the scene.
The deputies began a thorough search for water, determined to find the disappearing child. Among the thick bushes, they noticed a four-year-old boy, kept afloat by a cattail.
The assistants quickly got down to business, successfully pulling the boy out of the dangerous situation and taking him to safety.
Reflecting on the close conversation, Sheriff Chad Chronister expressed gratitude for the deputies’ unwavering determination, stating, “I shudder at the thought of the result were it not for the tenacity and efforts of these deputies.”
In light of the incident, the HCSO will be working with the Department of Children and Families to assess whether negligence played a role in the boy’s disappearance.
Rescuing the child, the police discovered that he did not speak. However, thanks to the prompt response of the deputies, the young man got out of the accident without any life-threatening injuries.
After being rescued, the boy was quickly reunited with his family.
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