Oakland County, MI – Oakland County deputies rescued a 14-year-old Farmington Hills boy with autism Tuesday after he went missing for three hours in Commerce Township. The teen, who was part of a church group camping at Proud Lake State Recreation Area, disappeared around 4 p.m. after running into a wooded area.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard praised the quick actions of the search and rescue team. “Thanks to the incredible efforts of our team, including the helicopter and K-9 unit, we found him before it was too late,” Bouchard said.
Deputies located the boy over a mile from the trail after a helicopter spotted him in a marshy area. The teen, stuck in waist-deep mud, couldn’t free himself. The Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team deployed a boat to safely retrieve him.
Paramedics from the Commerce Township Fire Department treated the boy on the scene for minor injuries before releasing him from the hospital. The Sheriff’s Office thanked all agencies involved, including the Department of Natural Resources and the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority Police, for their swift response.
