A missing 16-year-old autistic teen was safely reunited with his Crestview family Thursday after a deputy’s awareness and the swift action of multiple Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office units led searchers to his location, according to OCSO.

• The teen was reported missing after wandering away from his family’s home around 4:30 p.m. Deputies responded immediately and began searching the neighborhood and surrounding area as night fell.

After a couple of hours of searching in the dark, a deputy studying an aerial map of the area noticed two ponds nearby. Drawing on experience and training, the deputy knew children with autism are often attracted to water and recognized the ponds as a priority location to check, OCSO said.

The deputy contacted the property owner, who said someone matching the teen’s description had been seen there approximately 90 minutes earlier.

Deputies quickly shifted the search to that property. Within minutes of arriving, they deployed thermal imaging technology with the Drone Unit and located the teen hiding in dense brush along the wood line just feet from the ponds. He was approximately two miles from his home.

The teen was unharmed and safely returned to his family.

OCSO credited its patrol deputies along with specialized K9 and drone teams for bringing the young man back to his family. The agency also thanked K9 teams from Okaloosa Correctional Institution and Walton Correctional Institution, which assisted in the search.