Wes Brough has been temporarily granted the title of "Florida's most awesome person." The Florida deputy was scanning a wooded area near a pond in Deltona. Suddenly, he heard a cry for help. Brough sprung into action, taking off his bulletproof vest and sprinting toward the source of the voice. He saw the boy, ran into the pond, and brought him out of the water.
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Let's hear it for Deputy Wes Brough, who found and rescued a missing 5-year-old child in a pond last night in @CityofDeltonaFL pic.twitter.com/GMdF6MK6rL
— Volusia Sheriff (@VolusiaSheriff) August 7, 2024
"I got him, I got him," you can hear Brough say. With the boy safe, Brough makes his way to land. "I thanked God a lot for putting me in that position one, and two for allowing that kid to be above water and breathing fine when we got there," Brough said. "That's all glory to God for putting me in the right place at the right time."
Per the Associated Press, deputies initially responded to a call of a missing child. A Facebook post from the Volusia Sheriff's Office would further clarify the situation.
"The boy's father told deputies his 5-year-old son escaped the house through a second-story door, which set off an alarm. The family immediately began looking, asked neighbors for help, and called 911," the statement reads.
"Deputies searched the house and the immediate area with no luck. But knowing that the 5-year-old had autism and was attracted to water, deputies began checking bodies of water near the neighborhood. Deputy Brough and others headed for a pond a few blocks away behind Toluca Court."
A Florida Deputy Boldly Saves An Autistic Child From Peril
Officials said that the child's family had taken several measures to secure their home. Despite the alarm on the door, however, the child found a way to escape before anyone knew what was happening. Fortunately, Brough was perfectly prepared for such a scenario, based on Autism Awareness Training the department received.
"I have three children of my own, one being a 5-year-old," Brough stated. "So to have him hold on to me tightly like that, it felt like it was my own kid holding on to me."
I'll be the first to admit that we at Wide Open Country can get into some rather dark subject matter. Hopefully, though, this wholesome story is just the thing to offset such unpleasantness!
