Remarkable video footage has captured the dramatic moment when a police officer successfully rescued a missing six-year-old boy from a frigid pond, culminating in a touching reunion with his father.
The young boy, referred to as ‘Coco,’ was found by deputies in Florida on Christmas night after his distraught parents reported him missing.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office released the intense video of the search for Coco, who is autistic and nonverbal, highlighting the urgency of the rescue mission.
Coco was initially discovered by Air One, a helicopter deployed by authorities for aerial searches, which identified the child standing in waist-deep, icy water.
The helicopter pilot can be heard in the footage urging officers to quickly reach the boy, directing them over the radio with, “Just head straight North, you’ll run right into him.”
Racing against time, officers navigated through the challenging terrain and found Coco shivering in the pond, bringing an end to the tense search.
‘Don’t yell – I think that makes him nervous,’ one officer was heard saying as he calmly approached the confused child.
‘If somebody hasn’t called rescue – we’re going to need them. This water’s really cold, and he’s shaking,’ the officer added.
Incredible video footage captured the moment a police officer rescued a missing boy from a freezing pond and reunited him with his father in an emotional scene
Officers rescued a six-year-old boy named Coco from a freezing pond on Christmas night and safely returned him to his emotional father
Coco’s father tearfully ran to his son when he saw that officers had rescued the little boy. Coco is nonverbal and has autism
The cop could be seen in the footage calmly introducing himself to Coco, scooping him up, and telling the little boy that they were going to get him a blanket.
The boy was then reunited with his father in emotional scenes, and the pair ran to each other in tears and embraced.
The sheriff’s department said that Coco is known to be attracted to water and started taking swimming lessons after he was involved in a similar incident in August 2024.
Video footage from that previous rescue captured the moments when officers first spotted Coco in a pond.
They were seen running through the water before Deputy Wes Borough rescued Coco and carried him to safety.
‘To have him hold on to me tightly like that – it felt like it was my own kid holding on to me,’ Borough said at the time.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Department said they spoke to Coco’s family about improving precautionary measures and encouraged the child to wear an AngelSense tracker.
The tracker is designed for those with autism, special needs, or dementia. Caregivers can see their location in the app at all times.
The sheriff’s department said that Coco is known to be attracted to water and started taking swimming lessons in August 2024
A similar incident happened in August 2024, when Coco went missing and was rescued from a pond by sheriff’s deputies
Deputy Wes Borough rescued Coco from the water in 2024. He said that when Coco held onto him, it felt like his own child
The video of Coco’s rescue has gone viral on social media, with many praising the first responders for saving the child.
‘I cried watching this. For the child and the father. I could not imagine what this life is like. However my mother in law lived with us with dementia. We were lucky she didn’t wander off but some do. Thank you Volusia County Sheriffs. You are true heroes,’ one comment read.
‘So happy he was found, that is so scary to worry about that. Thankfully neither time did he run into any dangerous critters. The family did receive a Christmas blessing,’ another wrote.
‘Thank you for a second happy ending in this child’s story. My autistic son always loves being in the water too. It made for some scary times when he was younger. So glad he’s safe,’ wrote a third.
