When people hear a story from Florida, they often expect something bizarre or unbelievable. This time, however, the Sunshine State made headlines for a heartwarming reason. A group of Florida deputies helped rescue a frightened 14-year-old autistic girl after she became lost during a bike ride in the dark, bringing a scary situation to a happy ending.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the girl had been riding her bike on a trail near Peavy Grade in Palm Coast. As the sun went down, she could not find her way back.
Even her phone died, but before that happened, she made one last FaceTime call to her mother. During the call, her mother noticed the girl was near railroad tracks. That gave deputies an important clue about where to start searching.
Deputies searched the area around the railroad tracks shown during the FaceTime call. At about 9:20 p.m., they found the teenager safe and unharmed.
Body camera video released by the sheriff’s office shows deputies comforting the girl after finding her. One deputy hugged her before reuniting her with her relieved mother.
The sheriff’s office said deputies were able to quickly narrow down the search area because of the final FaceTime call.
Internet Reacts to Florida Deputies Rescuing Lost Autistic Teen
One comment on Facebook that resonated with many parents read, “Her yelling ‘Momma’ and asking for a hug broke this mommas heart. Poor thing was so scared.” Many viewers said the emotional reunion between the teenager and her mother was the most touching part of the rescue.
Others turned the discussion toward prevention. “Tracker would be the thing to do now that you had this experience,” one commenter wrote. Several people also praised the teenager for keeping calm enough to make one final FaceTime call before her phone died. “She showed smart thinking to call her mom. So glad she was found safe,” one person commented.
GPS trackers were among the most common suggestions in the comment section. “Definitely put a gps tracker on the bike or at minimum an airtag if you use an iPhone or chipolo tag if android so if something like this happens again can get there,” another commenter wrote.
The rescue also sparked a broader conversation about safety for people with autism. “Please find a way to track your child or adult with Autism. They are at high risk for exploitation,” a user urged.
Wandering is a common safety risk for autistic children. According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, about half of children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are reported to wander from a safe place.
A parent survey cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one in four children who wandered were missing long enough to cause concern, and they were most commonly at risk of drowning or traffic injury.
