Missing Child With Autism Found Alive In Germantown Pond

GERMANTOWN, MD — Montgomery County police on Wednesday safely located a missing 6-year-old, non-verbal child with autism after he was found in the middle of a pond behind the Germantown Library.

Around 5:40 p.m. the same day, police said a person flagged down officers in the 19800 block of Century Boulevard. The person said their child had been missing for about 45 minutes and that they were unsure which direction he had gone.

As more officers arrived to help search the area, a community member told police they had seen a child near a pond behind the library. The officer ran to the pond and saw the boy playing in the water. He then went into the pond and carried the boy to safety.

Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel evaluated the child and determined he was not injured.

According to police, officers later learned the boy did not know how to swim and that the pond’s water level was lower than normal at the time of the incident.

“This could have ended very differently,” said Laurie Reyes, an officer with the department’s Autism/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Unit. “We can’t say this enough — when someone with autism or another developmental disability goes missing, call 911 right away. Every minute matters.”

Officer Reyes said MCPD officers locate an average of three to eight people on the autism spectrum each week.

“In more than half of these cases, caregivers wait before calling for help,” Reyes said. “This can happen to anyone. Even the most dedicated parents. We know they’re doing the best they can, but it’s so important to make that call as soon as possible.”

Children on the autism spectrum are often drawn to water. To help prevent wandering, the police department offers free safety kits for families. The kits include window decals, a special MCPD T-shirt and other tools to keep children safe.

The IDD Unit also provides support, outreach and training to individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities, along with their families and the community. More information is also available on the unit’s Facebook page.