PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. (WSVN) – – Neighbors jumped into action after they spotted a boy on the autism spectrum heading toward a retention pond in Port St. Lucie.<\/p>\n
Good Samaritan Melinda Dryer said it was her intuition that told her something wasn\u2019t right, Saturday morning.<\/p>\n
Dryer said she was driving with her sister when she said she saw a 5-year-old boy crossing the road.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen he walked in front of the car, he just gave us like a blank stare, and something in my gut just didn\u2019t feel right,\u201d said Dryer.<\/p>\n
Her gut feeling may have prevented a tragedy as, police said, the autistic child wandered away from his home and entered the retention pond.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings could have went really wrong, I mean, it doesn\u2019t take much water for a child to drown, especially one that may not know how to swim,\u201d said Dryer. \u201cI knew, if he was possibly autistic, that that water wasn\u2019t going to be in a good situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
In fear of the worst, Dryer and her sister got out of their car as others joined them.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything happened so fast; it was scary, it was scary,\u201d said Dryer.<\/p>\n
After 10 minutes, they were able to guide the boy out of the water and into safety.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s autistic and nonverbal. We just found him over there by the water,\u201d said an officer on body camera video.<\/p>\n
When police arrived to the scene, the child was covered in fire ants, but officers said that overall he was physically unhurt.<\/p>\n
Alissa Magrum is the executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that individuals with autism are 160 times more likely than their neurotypical peers to drown,\u201d said Magrum.<\/p>\n
She said children with autism are often drawn to water, which presents its own dangers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do a lot of education around this specific population to try to help parents and caregivers learn what they can do to prevent these drownings or almost situations from happening,\u201d said Magrum.<\/p>\n
Those good Samaritans are thankful the boy is OK.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just grateful that he\u2019s with his family. I can\u2019t imagine that burden as a parent to go through anything like that,\u201d said Dryer.<\/p>\n
Police have reminded the public that if they find themselves in a similar situation, to do just like the Dryer did and follow their instincts.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.<\/p>\n
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