Video shows Florida deputy rescue missing 5-year-old autistic boy from pond

Not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes, they wear blue uniforms with a golden badge.  

Around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, a father called authorities after his 5-year-old son escaped from his Deltona house through a second-story door, setting off an alarm.

Deltona, Florida is located about 28 miles south of Daytona Beach.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said that after the family checked the surrounding area, they decided to call 911 for help.  

When deputies arrived at the residence, they began to search the house's perimeters and inside. The family informed the deputies that the 5-year-old boy is a child who has autism and that he was “attracted to water,” the sheriff’s office said.  

Video shows:Dramatic rescue of crying Kansas toddler from bottom of narrow, 10-foot hole

'Right place at the right time': Boy clings to deputy during rescue following search

The family told deputies that they had taken several measures to secure the house which included a door alarm. This is how they knew the 5-year-old boy had left the home.  

The sheriff’s office said that deputies then began checking bodies of water to locate the boy. Some officers went to a pond a few blocks away from the family’s home.  

At 7:48 p.m., Volusia County Sheriff's Office Deputy Wes Brough heard a voice and spotted the 5-year-old in the water. He was holding onto a log, the sheriff’s office said.  

The body camera footage shows Deputy Brough jumping into the pond and carrying the boy to safety. The boy is seen clinging onto Deputy Brough as the two exit the pond.

The 5-year-old boy was then medically cleared and returned to his family. 

"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 told CBS News. "That's all glory to God for putting me in the right place at the right time."

Officers involved in search had received Autism Awareness Training

In a Facebook post the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said that Deputy Brough and many other deputies have received Autism Awareness Training.  

The training was to help deputies, “prepare for a wide variety of calls involving people with autism, including missing children.”  

USA TODAY reached out to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office for comment.

Dangers of 'elopement'

Many children with autism can wander off in what's known as "elopement" to the disabilities community.

It affects almost half of children and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, according to a 2016 study. A National Autism Association review of more than 800 elopement cases between 2011 and 2016, found nearly a third were either fatal or required medical attention, while another 38% involved a close call with water, traffic, or another life-threatening situation.

Research shows that while some people with autism elope because they are overwhelmed with sensory stimulation that is too loud or bright, the most common trigger of elopement is a desire to get closer to an object that draws their attention or curiosity.

Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Daytona Beach News-Journal

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.