Working Bloodhounds Find Missing 3-Year-Old Boy With Autism In 30 Minutes
Two police-trained bloodhounds were able to find a 3-year-old Florida boy lost in the woods Sunday after only 30 minutes of patrolling.
While his grandmother was home watching him, Aedric Hughes, who has autism, unlocked a door and found himself lost in the woods, the Santa County Sheriff’s Office reported on Facebook.
“That’s the most terrifying words a mother can get over the phone. ‘Your child is missing, get home now,’ ” Aedric Hughes’ mother, Audra, who was at work at the time of the call, told CBS 12.
When the sheriff’s office received note of the incident, deputies searched the area for two hours before calling in K-9s Copper and Zinc to assist in the search.
According to a follow-up post from the sheriff’s office, the working dogs tracked approximately 200 yards into the largely wooded area around the Hughes’ home.
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In only 30 minutes, the animals found Aedric, “huddled tightly under a heavy brush area” where he was immediately pulled out and taken to EMS personnel.
“The photo of Deputy Lenzo carrying the 3-year-old out of the woods speaks volumes as to the seriousness of the incident,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a post, which included a picture of the rescue.
The post also reported that the Santa Rose County Sheriff’s Office only added the bloodhounds to their agency approximately a year ago. Since joining, the animals have located nine people, including senior citizens, criminals and missing children, like Aedric.
The boy is back home and did not sustain any injuries while missing, other than a few scratches and bug bites, the authorities reported.
