Bodycam Video: Ga. Police Officer, Civilian Rescue Autistic Child Clinging to Branch in Lake

A Georgia police officer and a community member jumped into a lake to save a missing autistic child clinging to a branch in the water last week.

The rescue happened just before 7 p.m. Tuesday when Gwinnett County police responded to a call about a missing non-verbal 8-year-old autistic boy, the department stated in a press release, which included body camera footage of the call. The child had gone missing after running out of his home, and because children with autism are drawn to water, officers and community members scoured the area around a nearby lake.

"This is the type of call that no family ever wants to make and one that officers never want to receive," the department stated.

During the search, an officer parked his cruiser on a bridge overlooking the water while a wooded area was searched. That's when the officer heard the by crying out.

When officer investigated the cry, he found the boy hanging on to a branch in the water. The officer and a civilian quickly waded into the water to rescue the boy.

After a reunion with his family, the boy was evaluated at the scene by medics before he was taken to the hospital because of concerns about hypothermia. The boy was uninjured, and he was reunited with his family.

"A quick response, teamwork, and a community that was willing to jump in and help made all the difference in this situation," the department stated.