DELTONA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida sheriff’s deputy ran by the woods, ripped off his bulletproof vest and ran right into a pond after listening to the cries of a lacking 5-year-old autistic boy.

Volusia County Sheriff’s Deputy Wes Brough scooped the boy up, and the kid wrapped his arms tightly round Brough’s neck as they trudged again to dry land on Tuesday night in Deltona, which is close to Daytona Seaside on Florida’s Atlantic Coast.

“I thanked God loads for placing me in that place one, and two for permitting that child to be above water and respiratory wonderful after we bought there,” Brough mentioned. “That’s all glory to God for placing me in the suitable place on the proper time.”

Deputies had responded to a name of a lacking little one round 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The daddy advised deputies the kid had escaped by a second-story door, which set off an alarm, in line with an account of the incident posted on the sheriff’s Fb web page.

The household and neighbors started looking. Somebody referred to as 911.

Brough and a number of other different deputies headed towards a close-by pond, after listening to that the kid was interested in water, the report mentioned.

About 7:48 p.m., Brough heard the boy’s voice and noticed him holding onto a log within the water.

Sheriff’s officers mentioned the boy’s household had taken a number of measures to safe the house, together with having an alarm on that door. That’s what alerted them that the kid had left the home.

Brough attributed the coaching they obtained, together with Autism Consciousness Coaching, for getting ready him to be prepared for any scenario. The rescue was captured by the deputy’s physique cam.

“I’ve three youngsters of my very own, one being a 5-year-old,” Brough mentioned. “So to have him maintain on to me tightly like that, it felt prefer it was my very own child holding on to me.”