Body cam shows Blue Ash police rescue a 6-year-old girl with autism after she walked into pond
By: Blue Ash police released body camera footage showing officers rescuing a girl with autism from a pond.
Chief Scott Noel said they received a call after 4 p.m. Sunday, reporting a 6-year-old girl had gone missing. Her family, Noel said, had been searching for her for around an hour before contacting police.
When they responded, Noel said the family told them she frequented the park and railroad tracks near her home. While searching for her, a sheriff's deputy saw a girl waist-deep in a pond near the tracks. Officers called for her to come out, but she continued to walk deeper into the water.
"Our officers receive extensive training dealing with autistic children and one thing they gravitate to is water, so that was a focus of ours as soon as we got there," Noel said.
Body camera captured the officers calling for the girl before Officer Tim Bittner jumps in to get her.
"When he got to (her), she was blowing bubbles, so the water was up close to her mouth," Noel said.
The girl was treated by EMS and returned home safe with her family.
Noel said the police department had called for drones to help with the search, but thankfully the child was found less than two hours after her family realized she was missing.
"It was a good outcome for us, so we're happy with that," said Noel.