Florida sheriff's deputy rescues missing 5-year-old autistic boy from pond

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DELTONA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida sheriff's deputy ran through the woods, ripped off his bulletproof vest and ran into a pond after hearing the cries of a missing 5-year-old autistic boy.

Volusia County Sheriff's Deputy Wes Brough scooped the boy up, and the child wrapped his arms tightly around Brough's neck as they trudged back to dry land on Tuesday evening in Deltona, which is near Daytona Beach on Florida's Atlantic Coast.

“I thanked God a lot for putting me in that position one, and two for allowing that kid to be above water and breathing fine when we got there,” Brough said. “That’s all glory to God for putting me in the right place at the right time.”

Deputies had responded to a call of a missing child around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The father told deputies the child had escaped through a second-story door, which set off an alarm, according to an account of the incident posted on the sheriff's Facebook page.

The family and neighbors began searching. Someone called 911.

Brough and several other deputies headed toward a nearby pond, after hearing that the child was attracted to water, the report said.

About 7:48 p.m., Brough heard the boy's voice and spotted him holding onto a log in the water.

Sheriff's officials said the boy's family had taken several measures to secure the home, including having an alarm on that door. That's what alerted them that the child had left the house.

Brough attributed the training they received, including Autism Awareness Training, for preparing him to be ready for any situation. The rescue was captured by the deputy's body cam.

“I have three children of my own, one being a 5-year-old,” Brough said. “So to have him hold on to me tightly like that, it felt like it was my own kid holding on to me.”