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‘Something in my gut didn’t feel right’: Neighbors rescue autistic boy from pond
Neighbors pulled the child from the water after about 10 minutes, and police said he was covered in fire ants but otherwise unharmed.
- On Saturday, a group of Florida residents rescued a 5-year-old autistic boy who wandered from home and entered a retention pond in Port Lucie, police said.
- Melinda Dryer and her sister spotted the child crossing the road; Dryer said, "When he walked in front of the car, he gave us a blank stare, and something in my gut didn't feel right."
- After about 10 minutes, the group guided the boy to safety; police confirmed he was covered in fire ants but otherwise physically unharmed, with body camera footage capturing the aftermath.
- Alissa Magrum, executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, said individuals with autism are 160 times more likely to drown than neurotypical peers, as water can be calming for these children.
- Magrum is working with the Autism Society of America to release a water safety toolkit, stating, "We do a lot of education around this specific population to try to help parents and caregivers.
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32 Articles
32 Articles
Tampa Bay Times+3 Reposted by 3 other sources
Autistic children are drowning in Florida stormwater ponds. What can be done?
At least 13% of children who drowned in Florida this year had autism, state data show.
·Saint Petersburg, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources32
Leaning Left2Leaning Right0Center29Last UpdatedBias Distribution94% Center
Bias Distribution
- 94% of the sources are Center
94% Center
C 94%
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