By Rachel Suleymanov

Source Connecticut Post, Bridgeport

VERNON, CT—Police say they entered "waist-deep mud" to rescue a nonverbal 8-year-old with autism who went missing Wednesday.

Vernon Police Department held a press conference regarding the rescue Thursday afternoon.

Officers said they received a report of the missing child Wednesday around 7 a.m. The child left a residence in the Sleeping Giant apartment complex on Hartford Turnpike for several hours before the parents discovered their child to be missing, according to a news release from Vernon police.

Police said they began a coordinated search of the area, but an active rainstorm made the child's direction of travel difficult to determine. Officers had to navigate "challenging terrain," according to the release.

Vernon police said they eventually heard sounds of the child crying, allowing them to narrow down the location to a densely wooded area behind the apartment complex. Officers eventually found the child in a swampy area near the residence, police said.

Officers waded through thick vegetation and waist-deep mud to retrieve the child, according to police. Emergency medical services responded to the incident to evaluate the child, who did not require transport to the hospital.

"The Vernon Police Department recognizes the diligent response and teamwork of all officers involved in bringing the child home safely," Vernon police said in the release.

___________

© 2026 the Connecticut Post (Bridgeport, Conn.).

Visit www.ctpost.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.