Autistic Teen Rescued From Marshy Area In Oakland County Lake: Sheriff

OAKLAND COUNTY, MI — Officials on Tuesday rescued a 14-year-old autistic teen from a marshy area of Proud Lake in Commerce Township, according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.

Officials said the Farmington Hills teen, who stands 5-feet 7-inches tall and weighs 100 pounds, was hiking along a trail at the lake with a church group at 4 p.m.

The boy then ran away from the chaperon and other members of the group into a wooded area, according to the sheriff's office.

Officials launched an extensive search for the boy using officers with a K-9 unit, drone and helicopter units, according to the sheriff's office.

Helicopter pilots found the boy three hours later stuck in a marshy area more than a mile from the trail, according to the sheriff's office.

Officials said the marshy area is an area of the park with no trail or road access.

Officials then used a SSRT boat to safely retrieved the boy from the thick, waist-deep mud, water and dense vegetation, according to the sheriff's office.

Officials then took the boy to a nearby hospital where he was treated and released for minor scrapes and bruises, according to the sheriff's office.

"Thanks to the amazing work of the search and rescue team, including the invaluable assistance of the helicopter, which was able to find him and guide in rescuers, we were able to save this young man from a dangerous situation that very well may have been our 12th drowning of the year," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.