Daring rescue: Milford officer, K9, save missing nonverbal child clinging to tree over waterway

MILFORD, Mass. — Milford Police got the call for a missing boy Monday afternoon.

“A frantic mother just discovered that her autistic nonverbal child, her young boy, she found he had escaped through a first-floor window,” said Officer Brian Sanchioni.

Officer Brian Sanchioni and his K9 Titan jumped into action.

They found the mother of the boy screaming his name near their home.

“I took a pair of the boy’s sneakers just to kind of use that as a starting point for scent with my dog,” said Officer Sanchioni.

Off they went searching through the neighborhood.

Eventually, Titan led them through some backyards, towards a bridge with railroad tracks with a stream running under it.

“Once we got to that point he was, my dog was showing a lot of interest kind of going frantic back and forth and he wanted to jump in the water,” said Officer Sanchioni.

So they jumped in, and Officer Sanchioni says he was knee deep in water as he followed Titan.

“I followed him through the bridge once we got to the other side, it opened up to a small circular pond and that’s where he immediately looked to the right and started barking, indicating to me, you know I found a person,” said Officer Sanchioni.

That’s when they found the eight-year-old boy, waist deep in the water, clinging to a tree on the bank of the pond

His family is beyond relieved he was found unharmed, thanks to the heroic work of these officers.

“He did all the work, I’m just the one who holds the leash,” said Officer Sanchioni. “The reason we have him, the dog’s noses are so strong they’re able to follow odor, my role is simply to allow him to go in productive areas where he can work around and try to find the odor of the person we’re trying to find.”

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