According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), K9 Beau and his handler, Deputy Tim Patterson, were instrumental in finding a missing non-verbal autistic child who had wandered away from his Crestview home on the evening of March 27, 2023.
After receiving the report of the missing child, Deputy Patterson and K9 Beau were immediately dispatched to the scene. Upon arriving, the deputy instructed the family to provide a piece of clothing the child had worn earlier in the day. K9 Beau used his heightened sense of smell to track the scent of the child.
- After just ten minutes of tracking, K9 Beau and Deputy Patterson were able to locate the little boy behind a house, standing in some bushes. The deputies quickly approached the child and returned him to his worried family, safe and sound.
This was K9 Beau’s first ‘official find’ for the OCSO, and he was met with praise, hugs, and a long drink of water upon his successful return. Deputy Patterson even went so far as to give K9 Beau a special treat of ham and bacon the next morning.
The OCSO has expressed their gratitude for the diligent work of K9 Beau and Deputy Patterson in bringing the child home safely. The Sheriff’s Office released a video of K9 Beau and Deputy Patterson in action, demonstrating the skill and dedication required for such a rescue.
