Watch: Missing autistic eight-year-old girl is rescued by police clinging to rocks in Florida

WorldFamily & Parenting
29 May 2025 • 12:45 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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An eight-year-old non-verbal autistic girl was rescued from rocks after going missing on a family vacation in Florida.

Clearwater Police Department found the child by the ocean after an urgent call reported she couldn't swim.

The released video shows Officer Billups calmly approaching the child, "Hey, give me your hand, be careful, be careful," as he strategically pulled her to safety from the precarious position where she was clinging to rocks in the water.

Police said that if the girl had fallen into the water, it was likely she would have drowned in the dangerous current.

In a statement shared on Facebook, the police department lauded Officer Billups, saying, "Thankfully, he was able to safely bring her out of the dangerous area and reunite her with her family."

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