Police have rescued a 9-year-old boy with autism in Avondale Heights after he was moved from Braybrook via the Malibenon River.
The boy was found swimming alongside members of the public in a river near Peerless Court at approximately 7:30 pm on Monday, January 2.
When police from Avondale Heights Police Station arrived some time later, the boy appeared lost, exhausted on the river bank, and having trouble communicating.
A child whose legs were numb due to the cold and could not walk was rescued by a volunteer by jumping off the embankment of the river.
They carried him up a steep hill about 1.5 km to Peerless Court, where he was treated by paramedics.
It was later confirmed that the boy had been reported missing from Braybrook two hours earlier.
Police would also like to thank the public who spotted the boy swimming in the river and reported it.
Avondale Heights Uniformed Police Officer First Class Jesse Kosak, who rescued the boy, said:
“He was shivering in the water. When we managed to rescue him, he was too exhausted to walk. We were shocked when we found out we had made it down to Avondale Heights.
“We thank the public for noticing the boy in the river and reporting it to us. If they had not done this, the consequences would have been tragic.”
