A 5-year-old girl was reported missing recently near Tampa, after the autistic child wandered off and got lost in a swamp.
The haunt of snapping turtles, alligators, water moccasins, and other beasties, Florida swamps are no place for an unattended child, but fortunately a coordinated rescue operation by the sheriff’s office located her before disaster struck.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deployed their aviation unit with thermal imaging to a heavily wooded area after receiving a call about the missing child.
Speaking to officers among the reeds and cypress, the pilot located the girl about one hour after the search began.
Bodycam footage released by the HCSO shows the three officers finding and calling her name. “We were looking for you sweetheart,” said one.
Fortunately the girl came to the officers instead of running further away and potentially hurting herself, and seemed perfectly happy when one of the rescue team lifted her out of the water and onto dry land.
Sheriff Chad Chronister commended the officers, saying that their “quick action saved the day, turning [a] potential tragedy into a hopeful reunion.”
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“Their dedication shows what service and protection are all about here at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office,” Chronister said in a statement.
WATCH the rescue footage below…
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