FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A missing special needs child was safely rescued this week in Fort Pierce after a collaborative effort from law enforcement, including a little help from man's best friend.
According to a news release from the Port St. Lucie Police Department, the agency was assisted by the Fort Pierce Police Department in locating the 13-year-old boy.
Fort Pierce police officers responded to the 2700 block of U.S. Highway 1 at about 4:21 p.m. Monday after the report of a missing teen.
Authorities canvassed the area, and additional assistance was requested from the Port St. Lucie Police Department just after 6 p.m. for a bloodhound K-9.
WATCH BELOW: Bodycam video shows K-9 finding missing child
Using security footage from a nearby gas station, police said they were able to ascertain the child's direction of travel.
A bystander also informed a Fort Pierce police sergeant that they had just seen a child matching the description walking toward the train tracks.
Police said the bloodhound, named Hoot, helped track the scent, leading officers to a wooded area adjacent to the tracks. Video shows the bloodhound working to locate the boy at about 6:30 p.m., according to a timestamp on the police body camera footage.
Foot patrols, drone surveillance and the K-9 converged on the location, where the child was safely found with only minor scrapes. A timestamp on the video shows the child was found just before 7 p.m.
Police said the boy was promptly reunited with his family.
"The rapid notification to law enforcement, combined with strong interagency cooperation and community vigilance, was instrumental in achieving a positive outcome," Port St. Lucie police said in a written statement Wednesday. "It is imperative that law enforcement authorities are notified immediately if a child or adult with special needs is missing."
