MIAMI (WSVN) - Newly released bodycam footage showed the moments a Miami Police officer saved a drowning child who fell into a river. That officer is now being hailed a hero.
The incident happened in the Allapattah area at around 3:15 p.m., Wednesday.
The responding officer, E. Fernandez, said he was patrolling the area when he saw the child walking along the river. At some point, the child left Fernandez’s sight, which prompted a quick response from the officer.
From the body camera footage, Fernandez was seen running towards the bank of the river were the child fell in.
The 10-year-old boy’s parents told police that their child is autistic.
“The officer’s son is also autistic, so this hit home,” Miami Police Capt. Freddie Cruz said. “The officer was very distraught. We give him a couple of days off to get himself together, I mean, this was actually very impacting, but it has a beautiful ending.”
The child is in good condition after being saved by the officer.
Copyright 2023 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.