The Brief
- Officers found the missing boy inside a storm drain after a 40-minute search at Peachtree Ridge Park.
- Officer instincts, including a disturbed fence line and open pipe, led rescuers directly to the child.
- Project Lifesaver is highlighted as a key tool for locating people with cognitive disorders who may wander.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. – A five-year-old boy with autism is safe after Gwinnett County police officers found him in a storm drain at Peachtree Ridge Park, a search that officers say ended in the best possible outcome.
What they’re saying:
Body camera video from the November 15 rescue shows officers calling out for the child after learning he had wandered away from a playground late that afternoon. One officer can be heard asking, “Does he have a name that he responds to? Buddy or Two. Buddy or Two?”
“As soon as a call like that comes out, everyone goes,” an officer said in the footage.…