Police in Florida managed to find a missing autistic nine-year-old boy thanks to the GPS bracelet that he was wearing.

Body cam footage shows one of the officers walking around with a detector and a flashlight before he located the child hiding near a house in Tampa on November 26.

The officer can be heard saying, 'Oh hey, buddy', with his colleague grabbing the child by the hand and escorting him away as the footage ends.

The images were obtained from the Hillsborough County's office in Tampa, in the US state of Florida, on November 27, along with a statement saying: 'With the invaluable assistance of SafetyNet - a program utilizing GPS-equipped bracelets - HCSO's SafetyNet team was able to find the child, hiding behind a building's A/C unit, safe and unharmed.'

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement: 'I am incredibly proud of our deputies' responsiveness and expertise that were instrumental in this successful recovery operation.'

He added: 'Their dedication to ensuring the safety of our community, especially vulnerable individuals like this child, is truly commendable.'

He also said: 'SafetyNet has proven to be a lifesaving tool, and I couldn't be more thankful for our strong partnership.'

The bracelet is reportedly used for people with cognitive conditions such as sinus, dementia and autism.