GWINNETT COUNTY, GA — Gwinnett County police helped save a 5-year-old autistic boy who wandered away from a playground last month.

On November 15, officers responded to Peachtree Ridge Park after reports of a boy who went missing. About 40 minutes into the search, officer Hugley noticed a fence around a retention pond had been pulled up.

“He followed his instinct, went under the fence, and checked in a sewer drain of a nearby neighborhood,” Gwinnett County police said.

Officer Hugley called out to the boy and heard a response. Officer Nunez arrived and crawled into the sewer, finding the boy a couple hundred feet in.

“While Officer Nunez was crawling through the sewer, Lt. Huggins located the nearest drain hole cover and directed them to his location. The boy was safely removed from the sewer without any injuries,” police added.

Body camera video shows officers giving the boy water and snacks as fire crews arrived.

During the video, one officer mentions Project Lifesaver, a national program that uses electronic tracking to help locate people with cognitive disorders who may become lost or endangered.