K-9 officer rescues missing child during winter storm

BEL AIR, Maryland (WBAL) — A Maryland State Police K-9 officer is receiving praise after the bloodhound tracked down a missing child with autism during Sunday’s winter storm.

“We got a call for a critically missing child, (a child with autism), that left his residence without his guardian knowing,” Bel Air Police Department Chief Charles Moore said. “This is right at the same time this snowstorm was happening, so there was a lot of concern for his welfare.”

Moore said his officers were called to the Glastonbury Way in Bel Air around 11:15 a.m. Sunday for a missing 15-year-old boy.

“My limited knowledge of autism, I know some (children with autism), but there is a tendency for people that (have) autism to want to find a body of water, I guess it’s a soothing feeling for them,” Moore said. “There’s a stream through (where the teenager was), there’s a few ponds also. So, we had a lot of concern that he might be heading toward one of those locations.”

Moore said the department called out to other agencies and posted on social media to ask for assistance.

“Subfreezing temperatures, snow — very deep snow, we had a lot of concern,” Moore told WBAL-TV 11 News. “So, it’s basically an all-hands-on-deck type of search. The community was helping, Harford County Sheriff’s Office (and) state police.”

Moore said senior trooper Taylor Bracken and his partner, K-9 Margo, were nearby and came to help.

Officers credited the safe finding of the teen to K-9 Margo.

“The dog seemed pretty sure about the trail they were following,” Moore said. “This is not an easy feat for those officers, because (it was) about eight inches (of snow) at that point, and they’re tripping over logs and rocks.”

Moore said the boy was safely taken home after he was evaluated by medics.