Law Enforcement, Firefighters, Community Members Credited With Bringing Missing Waite Park Boy Home

(KNSI) — The Waite Park Police Department says a nonverbal autistic child is back safe with their family after wandering away from his home Tuesday night.

According to a press release, the Waite Park Police Department received a call at about 10:00 saying the 11-year-old hadn’t been seen in almost half an hour. They said he was last seen near his home in the 1000 block of Sunwood Park Lane, and parents, community members, and neighbors were already out looking for him.

The Waite Park Police and Fire Departments, the St. Joseph Police and Fire Departments, St. Cloud Police Department, St. Cloud Fire Department with personnel and mobile command, Sartell Police Department, Cold Spring Police Department, Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, Mayo Ambulance, Life Link III flight team, and the State Patrol troopers and flight team all assisted in searching for the boy.

He was found safe and unharmed about three and a half hours later near County Road 75 and 33rd Street South, four and a half road miles away from where he was last seen. A St. Cloud police officer reunited him with his family.

The Waite Park Police Department thanked everyone who helped find the boy and bring him home. They also thanked the concerned citizens who stopped and stayed with him until help arrived.

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