Police in central Florida rescued a missing autistic girl from a wooded swamp late Monday, police video shows.
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) aviation personnel responded to an emergency call about a missing girl who had wandered from her home in Tampa around 5:10 p.m., HCSO announced Tuesday. statement.
An aerial thermal imaging camera spotted a girl walking in the forest. video showed that.
“Hey, I think we've taken her to the woods,” a flight officer radioed overhead conducting a ground search. “If you call now, you might hear her name. She'll probably run about 80 feet… just keep walking in that direction.”
“Oh, she's here,” one of the officers on the ground was seen saying on the video.
“Come on, sweetheart,” one of the officers called to the girl with open arms. (Related: Video shows police rescuing girl from hidden compartment in closet)
𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐒 𝐚𝐟𝐞🚨
February 26, 2024, 5:10 p.m. #TeamHCSOAirmen were called to assist in the search for a 5-year-old autistic child who wandered from his home in Tampa.
Within an hour, our… pic.twitter.com/YvPjJW5pQj
— HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) February 27, 2024
The girl was also seen walking through the swamp with her arms outstretched towards the police officer. Her video showed officers helping her pick her up and place her in the back seat of a police truck. She said the girl didn't seem upset. She did not have any injuries to her, police added in the statement.
HCSO said in a tweet attached to the video that the rescue took place less than an hour after the emergency call.
HCSO Sheriff Chad Chronister praised the rescue team. “Their quick actions saved the scene and turned a potential tragedy into a hopeful reunion,” he said in a statement. “Their dedication exemplifies what service and protection is all about here at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.”
The child's family gave permission for HCSO to show the child's face in the video, according to a statement from HCSO.
In a separate incident earlier in the day, HCSO reportedly rescued a woman in her 70s from the smoking wreckage of a car that had crashed through a fence and into the woods. police video Twitter explanation. The woman was rescued with minor injuries and her car burst into flames, according to a post on Twitter. In the video, smoke can be seen billowing into the air in the distance. According to her post, she has recovered after treatment at the hospital.
