Officers finds boy with autism in storm drain: ‘Calls like that hits a little bit closer home’

Officer finds boy with autism in storm drain

A five-year-old boy with autism is safe after Gwinnett County police officers found him in a storm drain at Peachtree Ridge Park, a search that officers say ended in the best possible outcome.

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A five-year-old boy with autism is safe after Gwinnett County police officers found him in a storm drain at Peachtree Ridge Park, a search that officers say ended in the best possible outcome.

What they're saying:

Body camera video from the November 15 rescue shows officers calling out for the child after learning he had wandered away from a playground late that afternoon. One officer can be heard asking, "Does he have a name that he responds to? Buddy or Two. Buddy or Two?"

Gwinnett officers look into a storm drain at Peachtree Ridge Park while searching for a missing five-year-old boy with autism on November 15, 2025. (Gwinnett County Police Department)

"As soon as a call like that comes out, everyone goes," an officer said in the footage.

Officer Jacob Hugley was among the first to reach the wooded area behind the playground. He said the call struck him personally.

"Calls like that hits a little bit closer home for me. I also have a 5-year-old son who is on the autism scale," Hugley said.

Hugley told FOX 5 he followed a walking trail with several officers because they knew which direction the boy had been headed.

Officers lift the five-year-old boy from a manhole after Officer Steven Nunez located him several hundred feet inside a drain at Peachtree Ridge Park on November 15, 2025. (Gwinnett County Police Department)

"We knew which direction he was going towards… the woods… There's a walking trail, so me and a couple of other fellow officers went down the walking trail," he said.

He said his instincts led him to a disturbed fence line near a large tree.

"And then I saw the open pipe. Like my kid thinks that's a part of the playground. In between two things, he would go in there and try to get to the other end," Hugley said.

Moments later, an officer called out, "Two is that you? All right, I think I found him…"

The boy had crawled several hundred feet into a drain near a retention pond. Officer Steven Nunez said he crawled inside the pipe to reach him.

"When I found the boy, honestly, he was relatively pretty fine. He was happy to see police officers. Apparently, mom said that he actually does like police officers," Nunez said.

Video shows Nunez guiding the child to a nearby manhole where firefighters lifted him to safety.

"I got you, buddy. I got you," Nunez said as crews pulled the boy out.

First responders check on the five-year-old boy moments after he was safely pulled from a storm drain at Peachtree Ridge Park on November 15, 2025. (Gwinnett County Police Department)

Nunez said the best moment came after the rescue.

"When you are there and able to provide that moment of contact back with the parents, it's the best thing in the world. Seeing a child reunited with the parents."

Why you should care:

Gwinnett County police said they work with Project Lifesaver, a tracking program designed for people with cognitive disorders who may be at risk of wandering.