5-Year-Old Girl With Autism Reunited With Her Family After Disappearing Into Florida Swamp

The search began when the girl’s parents realized their child was missing around 5 p.m. on Monday. “They went to the neighbors house, realized ‘no we haven’t seen her,’ now panic starts to kick in,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chorister said of the incident in an interview with ABC News.

The search included an aviation unit that used thermal imaging to scan thousands of miles of swamps and forests. They were able to find the child in under an hour, reported Daily Mail. In video of the rescue, we can hear a deputy say, “Hey, I think I got her in the woods. She might be able to hear your name if you call her now. She's gonna be about 80 feet in front of you. I got two deputies. Yep, just keep walking in that direction."

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As the deputy found the girl, he squatted down to her eye level and reached his arms out to her, as if she would be coming in for a hug. The girl smiled briefly before making her way to officials. According to the Independent, the girl seemed happy to see the officers.

She threw her hands up in the air as she walked toward the officer and said, “Are you going to get me out of the water.” The officer did just that and walked the child to safety and dry land.

The 5-year-old was found with minor scratches on her body but was otherwise safe and had no further injuries. "In situations like this, every second counts and its always rewarding to see this quick response for our deputies and to see such a positive outcome," Chronister told ABC News.

Chronister added the quick action of his team ensured that this story had a happy ending. "She could have slipped, she could have [fallen] in the water and this outcome would have been much different," Chronister told the outlet.

After the girl was taken back to a police vehicle, the deputy leading the search on the ground said, “We were looking for you sweetheart,” the Daily Mail reported.

There is a program in Hillsborough County called Safety Net. It is designed to assist families with elderly members or children with autism who may wander away. The program equips these families with a tracking bracelet that can help in these instances.