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PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. \u2014<\/p>\n\u2018Something in my gut didn\u2019t feel right\u2019: Neighbors rescue autistic boy from pond<\/p>\n
A group of Port St. Lucie residents saved a 5-year-old autistic boy who wandered into a retention pond after leaving his home, preventing a potential tragedy.<\/p>\n
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. \u2014<\/p>\n
A group of Port St. Lucie residents rescued a 5-year-old autistic boy who wandered away from home and entered a retention pond Saturday morning, police said. <\/p>\n
The incident occurred on SW Kestor Drive, where Melinda Dryer and her sister were driving when they saw the child crossing the road. <\/p>\n
“When he walked in front of the car, he gave us a blank stare, and something in my gut didn\u2019t feel right,” Dryer said. “I knew if he was possibly autistic, that that water wasn\u2019t going to be in a good situation.”<\/p>\n
Police said the boy, who has autism, had wandered away from his home and began entering the pond.<\/p>\n
Dryer and her sister quickly got out of their car, and other residents joined them. Dryer said the boy started taking off his clothes in the water.<\/p>\n
“Everything happened so fast. It was scary, it was scary,” Dryer said. <\/p>\n
After about 10 minutes, the group managed to guide the boy out of the water to safety. <\/p>\n
Body camera footage from responding officers captured the aftermath.<\/p>\n
Police said the boy was covered in fire ants but was otherwise physically unharmed.<\/p>\n
Alissa Magrum, the executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, said individuals with autism are significantly more likely to drown than their neurotypical peers. <\/p>\n
“We know that individuals with autism are 160 times more likely than their neurotypical peers to drown,” Magrum said. <\/p>\n
She explained that children with autism are often drawn to water because it can be calming, but the risks are substantial. Magrum said she is working with the Autism Society of America to release a water safety toolkit to help families with autistic individuals prepare for situations such as this one.<\/p>\n
“We do a lot of education around this specific population to try to help parents and caregivers from these drowning or almost situations from happening,” Magrum said. <\/p>\n
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