Missing autistic boy who wandered from home barefoot found ‘shivering and wet’ day after vanishing
A MISSING autistic boy who wandered from home barefoot has been found “shivering and wet” on Thursday – a day after he vanished. A local mailman found little Ethan Adeyemi, who was last seen running barefoot outside his Maryland home on Wednesday evening. US Postal Service worker Keith Rollins spotted the missing toddler walking down […]
A MISSING autistic boy who wandered from home barefoot has been found “shivering and wet” on Thursday – a day after he vanished.
A local mailman found little Ethan Adeyemi, who was last seen running barefoot outside his Maryland home on Wednesday evening.
US Postal Service worker Keith Rollins spotted the missing toddler walking down the I-95 while he was driving on Thursday morning.
Speaking to CBS, Rollins said: ‘‘I happened to see a little head. I didn’t know whether it was a human head or whether it was an animal, so I pulled over and called 911.”
He said the little tot “only had a pair of sweatpants and sweatshirt, no shoes or socks on.”
“So I walked up to him,” Rollins continued. “And said, ‘Hey buddy, How are you doing? What’s your name? Are you OK?” He looked at me, but I didn’t get any response from him.”
Howard County Police previously said they believe he is on the autism spectrum, but said he has not been officially diagnosed due to his age.
HIGH ALERT
Local cops had issued an alert saying Ethan was non-verbal but will clap in response to his name.
Heroic Rollins picked up the boy whose desperate family were searching for him with K9 units, drones, helicopters and fire crews.
The mailman recalled: “Once I didn’t get a response from him, I decided to just scoop him up, and I took him to my vehicle.
“I had a sweater that I tried to cover him up with, and turned up the head and I called the police back.
“[I] said that I had the little boy in my vehicle, within a matter of minutes, the police were there.”
LOCAL HERO
Ethan was rushed to hospital where he was treated for hypothermia. But his rescuer declined to be called a hero.
“Giving glory to God that I was able to help at that particular time and be in the correct place at the right time,” Rollins said. “But a hero? Nah, not at all.”
The little boy had followed an adult who was leaving his home in the 7800 block of Blue Stream Drive around 10:20 p.m.
A panicked family member called police when they couldn’t find him, cops said,
Ethan wasn’t wearing socks or shoes when he went missing in cold conditions.
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Local authorities, including K9 units, combed the surrounding area to find him before Rollins came to the rescue.
Police aircraft, including HCPD drones and helicopters from neighboring jurisdictions, couldn’t take part in the search due to weather conditions.
Local cops asked residents in the area to turn on their exterior lights and to check their homes before Ethan was found on the highway.
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