Thanks to some Florida deputies and their bloodhound, a 3-year-old boy with autism is safe and back with his family.

Aedric’s grandmother was watching the young boy on Sunday, but while she was in the bathroom, he managed to unlock the deadbolt on the door and walked out of the house.

According to deputies, the boy wandered into the woods behind a neighbor’s home in Pace, a Pensacola suburb in the Florida Panhandle, and got lost.

At this point, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office started looking for the boy.

Deputies Robert Lenzo and Josh Chandler, as well as K-9s Copper and Zinc, searched the area, and after two unsuccessful hours, deputies released their bloodhounds.

In less than 30 minutes, Copper found the boy about 200 yards away.

Sheriff Bob Johnson said that 28 minutes after the dog hit the ground, they found little Aedric, surrounded by briars and mud.

Deputies had to use a machete to reach him, but except for some scratches and bug bites, he was ok.

The sheriff’s office started using bloodhounds last year, and since then, the dogs have found nine people, including senior citizens, children, and fleeing suspects.

At a news conference Monday morning, the mother, Audra Hughes said that the most terrifying words a mother can get on the phone are ‘your child is missing, get home right now’.

However, a couple of hours later, she received the best news in her entire life: ‘We found your kid.’”

The boys’ mom also thanked the many people of her neighborhood who were out trying to help in the search.

District One Commissioner Sam Parker congratulated the hard-working team on a job well done.

Sources:
www.fox13news.com
www.foxnews.com
nbcpalmsprings.com