Deltona, United States - August 06, 2024

Deputy Wes Brough of the Volusia Sheriff's Office is being hailed for his swift action in rescuing a missing 5-year-old boy from a pond in Deltona, Florida, last night. The incident unfolded when deputies responded to a report at a home on Valmont Lane around 7:30 p.m. on August 6. The boy had escaped through a second-story door, triggering an alarm that alerted his family.

Despite initial searches of the house and surrounding area yielding no results, deputies, aware that the child had autism and was drawn to water, intensified their efforts. Deputy Brough and his team focused on nearby bodies of water, eventually locating the child clinging to a log in a pond behind Toluca Court at approximately 7:48 p.m.

Acting swiftly, Deputy Brough entered the pond and safely retrieved the boy, who was then assessed and reunited with his family without injury. It was later confirmed that the family had implemented several safety measures, including the door alarm that promptly notified them of the child's absence.