Officers, Aviation Crew Rescue Missing 8-Year-Old From Frigid Waters In Upper Marlboro [VIDEO]

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. – On a cold April night with temperatures hovering near 40 degrees, an urgent search unfolded in Prince George’s County after an eight-year-old boy with autism wandered away from his home.

Shortly before 11 p.m. on April 12, 2025, Prince George’s County Police Department Special Operations Division K9 officers, Cpl. Mason and Cpl. Carter, responded to the critical missing child report. The child’s distraught family had contacted authorities after realizing he was missing from their Upper Marlboro residence.

The officers immediately began searching the surrounding neighborhood and called for additional support from the department’s Aviation Section. Minutes later, a police helicopter known as Guardian, piloted by Mr. Corser with Tactical Flight Officer Cpl. Elrod onboard, joined the search.

Using the helicopter’s FLIR thermal imaging system, the crew scanned the darkened landscape for signs of life. After several tense minutes, they spotted a heat signature near the edge of a large body of water—someone appeared to be sitting with their legs submerged.

Cpl. Elrod radioed Mason and Carter, guiding them toward the location. Racing against time and the cold, the officers sprinted to the water’s edge where they found the missing child, cold, wet, but conscious.

The officers quickly brought the boy to safety, reuniting him with an awaiting ambulance crew and his relieved family.

Authorities credited the swift coordination between ground officers and aviation crews for the successful rescue.

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