Two St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office deputies are being credited with finding a missing 9-year-old boy with autism.
The child, who is nonverbal, was reported missing on Friday. Later that day, Deputies Madison DeVries and Matthew Camp spotted him in the water as they searched alongside a river in the Hollywood, Maryland, area.
Body-worn camera footage released by the sheriff’s office shows Camp quickly entering the water and swimming to the child.
Sheriff’s office spokesperson ALisa Casas said Camp’s actions went beyond training.
“He made a split-second decision to take off his equipment, to take his wallet out of his pocket. He jumped in the water with his hat on, and I don’t think that that’s training. I think that that is intrinsically who he is as a human being,” Casas said.
After Camp brought the boy to shore, both deputies comforted the child. The boy’s parents said he could become frightened easily.
The child was evaluated by medical personnel and reunited with his family.
Casas spoke with the boy’s mother Monday.
“She is really still processing all that happened, but was incredibly grateful for the way that the situation turned out,” Casas said.
Sheriff Steve Hall said St. Mary’s deputies receive training about autism and other intellectual disabilities that include ways to communicate calmly, avoid escalating situations and better connect with people who might be overwhelmed or scared.
Hall said he later called both deputies to thank them for their work. He also emphasized that the rescue was the result of a coordinated effort involving everyone from the initial 911 caller to dispatchers and first responders on the ground.
“From the phone call and the gathering of the information, deciding what assets need to go when and how fast, to us getting there and getting into a general area, and just you know being in the right place at the right time is not an accident,鈥� he said.
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