A late-night search was launched in New Jersey after a six-year-old boy with autism went missing from his home. He had reportedly climbed out of his bedroom window, prompting residents to alert the police after spotting him in the neighbourhood. The incident and subsequent rescue were reported by PEOPLE.
The Totowa Police Department received several calls at around 9.20 pm local time on November 5. Residents reported seeing a young child knocking on doors near 44 Lincoln Avenue before heading east towards the Passaic River.
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Police launch search for missing child
Police learnt that the boy had left home approximately 25 minutes before the first calls came in. Officers from Totowa, the local fire department and neighbouring jurisdictions joined the search.
About 30 minutes later, officers found the child at the bottom of a river embankment, holding on to a tree while partially submerged in the water.
Footage of the rescue, shared by CBS affiliate WCBS, showed officers reaching the boy.
{{/usCountry}}Footage of the rescue, shared by CBS affiliate WCBS, showed officers reaching the boy.
{{/usCountry}}Totowa Police Patrolman Fina Matranga, who attended to him, said he was soaked from head to toe and appeared to have vomit on his chest. She stayed beside him, trying to comfort him and clean him up.
"I sat with him and I was able to comfort him and clean him up a little bit," Matranga told ABC affiliate WABC.
She also used sensory toys that she routinely carried in her duty bag to help soothe the child.
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Officer recalls boy was 'ice-cold' after rescue
Matranga later spoke about the boy's condition when she reached him. In an interview with News 12 Long Island, she said he had been shivering in the cold water, which was estimated to be around 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius).
"He was ice-cold and white, almost blue," she recalled.
The boy was subsequently reunited with his parents and taken to hospital for a medical evaluation. An update on November 13 said he was doing well and had returned home to his family.