WESTLAKE, Ohio — On Thursday, July 3, a mother called Westlake police after her 4-year-old son went missing from a playground at Clague Park.
Westlake Police were notified around 8:15 p.m. that the child had slipped away from caregivers while at the playground. Officials say what made things even more urgent was that the child was autistic, non-verbal and would not respond to his name.
Police got to the park within five minutes and conducted a search on the ground and by drone.
“We have technology in all our cars, including drone technology that we could immediately deploy in cases like this. We can deploy them 10 minutes or so from the initial call, or from the child going missing,” said Westlake Police Capt. Jerry Vogel.
Within 11 minutes of the 911 call, a Westlake Police drone operator spotted the child playing near the drainage stream in the middle of the park.
“He was quite far from where he had been last seen, and of course, like we see many times, he was by water. The child was unharmed and didn't realize he was even in danger. Our officers did recover the child and helped him get back to his mom,” said Vogel.
For parents visiting Clague Park on the Fourth of July, this situation was a poignant reminder of how quickly any young child can slip away.
“That's the scariest thing for a mom, if your kid goes missing. Or even, when you go to the store and your kids try to hide in the clothes, it's so scary. So, it breaks my heart to hear something like that, but the outcome was amazing,” said Parent Becky Thompson.
Capt. Vogel credits the drones with helping them locate the 4-year-old quickly.
“Cases like this when a child or maybe someone with dementia goes missing, they can cover a lot of ground from a different perspective. We can use infrared vision to see things that humans can't see, so using it is like getting air support,” said Capt. Vogel.
He also wants to remind people during this busy time of year, especially at large gatherings, to know where the police command is located. Also, take pictures of your kids during the event so the police can have a good description if they have to search for your child.
