Bystander, Drone Help Find Nonverbal Child Wandering Near Traffic In Redwood City: Police

REDWOOD CITY, CA — Officers quickly located a missing nonverbal 10-year-old student who had left an elementary school and was running near traffic in Redwood City thanks to the help of a bystander and a police drone, authorities said.

Redwood City police responded to a local elementary school around 11:10 a.m. Thursday after staff reported that the student could not be located. Officers searched classrooms and other areas of the campus.

The student, who is nonverbal and requires additional assistance, was later reported by a passerby running in and near traffic on Woodside Road near the Wells Fargo bank, police said.

"The caller did not know the child but recognized that he appeared young and may need assistance and contacted police," police said in a news release.

Officers said they then quickly located the student running eastbound along Woodside Road via a drone.

"The drone maintained continuous visual contact with the student and provided responding officers with his location until they were able to safely reach him and prevent him from entering traffic again," the news release said.

Officers said they stayed with the student until his mother arrived. He was checked and found to be unharmed before being reunited with his family.

Police credited the passerby who called 911 after noticing the child.

“Their willingness to get involved, combined with the rapid response of officers, dispatchers, and the drone, helped bring this incident to a safe conclusion,” police said.