VERNON, Connecticut — Police officers pushed through dense woods, heavy rain and waist-deep mud to find a missing nonverbal 8-year-old with autism and return him safely to his family.
Watch the Vernon Police body-camera rescue footage
The NBC Connecticut report below includes Vernon Police body-camera footage from the July 29 rescue and interviews with the officers involved. The video shows the difficult terrain; ThinBlueNews is embedding the publisher's player rather than re-uploading the report.
Officers followed the sound of crying
Police received the missing-child report at about 7 a.m. Wednesday, July 29, according to a Journal Inquirer report published by CT Insider and NBC Connecticut's video account. Authorities said the boy may already have been outside for several hours.
An active rainstorm made it difficult to determine his direction of travel. Officers coordinated a search around the residence and moved into a densely wooded area, where they began hearing intermittent cries.
Those sounds helped officers narrow the search to swampy ground behind the residential area. The public reports do not identify the child, and ThinBlueNews is withholding additional identifying and sensitive details because he is a minor.
Waist-deep mud blocked the direct route
Officer Dominic Marandino told reporters that he became stuck while trying to cross the mud. He removed his ballistic vest and duty belt so he could move more freely through the thick vegetation, then army-crawled roughly 20 feet to reach firmer ground near the child.
The body-camera footage shows responders struggling for footing amid mud, roots and branches. Officers broke and placed nearby branches across hazardous patches, creating a more stable path. The NBC report said responders then passed the child from one officer to another until they reached safe ground.
Emergency medical personnel evaluated the boy at the scene. Police said he did not require transport to a hospital.
Teamwork brought the child home safely
The rescue required patrol officers and emergency medical personnel to work from limited information in severe terrain while time mattered. Vernon Police credited the diligent response and teamwork of everyone involved with bringing the child home safely.
The outcome also shows why quickly sharing a missing person's communication needs, likely travel patterns and other safety information can help search teams adapt. Families seeking preparedness resources can consult the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's search-response guidance.
Readers can find more verified lifesaving work in ThinBlueNews' police rescue news, police hero stories, first responder news and latest news.
Sources, video and image attribution
- NBC Connecticut — “Vernon police rescue missing 8-year-old boy with autism from swampy woods,” published July 30, 2026. The report contains Vernon Police body-camera footage, officer interviews and the rescue timeline. It is embedded above through YouTube's public player.
- Journal Inquirer / CT Insider — “Vernon police rescue missing 8-year-old with autism from swampy woods,” published July 30, 2026. The local report attributes the missing-child call, search conditions, officer actions and medical outcome to Vernon Police and named officers.
Featured-image note: The image uses a true frame from Vernon Police body-camera footage released for public reporting and published by NBC Connecticut. ThinBlueNews cropped the frame and added a factual headline and visible source credit for this editorial report. No person, uniform, equipment or incident detail was generated or altered, and the child's face is not visible.
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