On 08/13/2024, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office received an urgent call of concern from a South Beach, OR family who were unable to locate their autistic 10-year-old son. The family reported noticing their son was missing within three minutes and had looked for him briefly before calling for help. The City of Newport Police Department and Newport Fire Department responded to assist in attempting to locate the missing boy while Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue “SAR” resources gathered to organize a broader search operation.
Approximately two hours after the boy went missing, an alert employee from the Oregon Coast Aquarium noticed a juvenile playing in the mud flats approximately 300 feet off SE 30th St in the Yaquina Bay and reported it to management staff who reported it to Law Enforcement. City of Newport Police and Fire responded to the area of SE 30th St with Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office personnel and located the missing boy playing in the water. Multiple personnel waded out into the mud flats to retrieve the boy and reunite him with his family.
Lincoln County SAR volunteer personnel respond to a multitude of dangerous conditions, but a lost autistic 10-year-old requires seamless cooperation and coordination from all available resources. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is grateful to the City of Newport Police Department and the City of Newport Fire Department for their willingness to provide assistance at a moment’s notice.
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