WATCH: Police rescue autistic child from water

Prince George's County police rescue autistic child

Prince George's County Police rescusing an autistic child from the water. His rescue not only brought joy to his family but also to the Prince George’s Police Officers who found him. FOX 5'S Gwen Tolbart was live in Upper Marlboro with more on the incredible reunion.

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. - After a boy wandered from his home, police were able to find him on the banks of a large body of water and reunite him with his family. 

What we know:

An eight-year-old child on the autism spectrum went missing around 11:00 p.m. on a cold night, according to officials. 

The boy had wandered from his home in Upper Marlboro when his family called Prince George's Couny Police Department for help. 

"When you hear a call about a missing child my heart sinks, I need to get out there quickly," said Ret. Tactical Flight Officer Chris Elrod. 

Two Special Operations Division K9 officers, Corporals Mason and Carter, searched for the boy and called in the helicopeter and their flight crew to canvas the area. 

The helicopter crew spotted someone on the banks of a large body of water who appeared to be partially submerged. 

"I saw that he was partially submerged in the lake and I could tell on the image from his shoulders to his head was the only thing really radiating heat, so that told me that his body was losing body heat, so I knew we needed to get an officer to him quickly to get him out of the water and get him medical attention and get him warmed back up," said Elrod. 

The crew alerted the K9 officers on the ground, who ran toward the waterline. 

Police rescue autistic child from water

It's Autism Awareness Month and what better way to acknowledge it than to share the story of the amazing water rescue of an eight year old Autistic child.  His rescue not only brought joy to his family but also to the Prince Georges Police Officers who found him.

The officers found the child cold and wet, but otherwise unharmed. They brought him back home to his relieved family. 

"I thought because he was on the spectrum he had been drowned in the water and something terrible had happened to him and that I'm not going to see him again," said mother Fatmata Zine. "Bravo to the PG County Police Department. They did a very wonderful job and I like how they acknowledge kids on the spectrum and I like how they went about it. In twenty minutes he was found. It was a big victory."