Gwinnett Police rescue missing autism child from lake
By: -----
Norcross, GA - Gwinnett County Police say an officer rescued a missing child from Freeman Lake earlier this week.
The police department issued a statement, along with body camera footage of the incident, on Friday, Mar. 27. It reportedly happened three days earlier on Tuesday, Mar. 24 in the Norcross area.
"Officers responded to a report of a missing 8-year-old child with autism spectrum disorder who is nonverbal," the police department said. "Officers learned the child had run out of the home and was missing."
Police said the child's family indicated the boy was drawn to water, meaning he had likely gone in the direction of Freeman Lake, a short distance from the home.
"Master Police Officer J. Serrano...positioned his patrol vehicle on the bridge on Steve Reynolds Boulevard overlooking the water while community members searched the nearby wooded area," the police department said. "A short time later, the child was heard crying out and was located clinging to a branch in the water."
Serrano and a civilian then went into the water and brought the child to safety. The child was taken to a nearby hospital due to concerns about hypothermia, but was later released with no serious injuries.