By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• A Gwinnett County (Ga.) police officer and a civilian waded into a lake to rescue a missing 8-year-old nonverbal autistic child clinging to a branch in water.
• Police were searching the area after the boy ran from his home and was believed to be near a body of water.
• The rescue occurred just before 7 p.m. on March 24, officials said.
• The child was treated at the scene and taken to a hospital for possible hypothermia, police reported.
• Body camera footage of the incident was released by the police department.
GWINNETT COUNTY, GA — A Gwinnett County police officer and a civilian rescued a missing 8-year-old nonverbal autistic boy from Freeman Lake after he was found clinging to a branch in the water, law enforcement officials said.
Authorities responded just before 7 p.m. on March 24 to a report of the missing child, who had run from his home, and focused search efforts around nearby water where children with autism are often drawn.
During the search, an officer heard the child crying and located him in the lake holding onto a branch, according to a police press release that included body camera footage.
The officer and a civilian quickly waded into the water and brought the boy to safety, officials said.
The child received treatment at the scene and was transported to a hospital as a precaution for hypothermia; his condition was not immediately disclosed.
Gwinnett County Police Department officials said the rescue highlighted teamwork between officers and community members during a critical missing-child incident.