An hour-long search for a missing boy with autism ended happily in Cornelia on Saturday when the child was safely located.
The 11-year-old’s mother called 911 to report her son missing from their Crown Point Drive apartment. The urgency of the situation was heightened because the boy has nonverbal autism. Cornelia Police Chief Jonathan Roberts said there were serious concerns for the boy’s welfare because of the terrain near his home and his love of water.
Habersham County Emergency Services personnel responded to the call at 1:32 p.m. and joined other responding units from multiple local and state agencies.
Officers with the Cornelia, Baldwin, and Alto police departments and the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the search. A Georgia Department of Corrections K-9 team and personnel from the Cornelia Fire Department also helped canvass the area.
Chief Roberts says units from the Georgia State Patrol (GSP), GSP Aviation, and White County Emergency Management Agency were on their way to assist with the search when the boy was located.
“The staff of the Habersham County Airport also assisted by checking the grounds of that facility and talking with local pilots who were flying,” says Habersham County Public Information Officer Rob Moore.
When residents of a neighboring apartment awoke, they found the child inside their home and notified the law enforcement command post at Crown Point Apartments just after 2:30 p.m.
The child, identified by the Cornelia Police Department as Landon Armour, was safe and returned to his mother.
In all, more than two dozen emergency personnel participated in the search. Chief Roberts expressed his gratitude to the agencies involved and to the residents of Crown Point for their willingness to help.
“Today was a great day when the little guy hugged his mother,” he said.
