In a remarkable rescue that unfolded on Christmas night, a police officer in Florida saved a missing six-year-old boy from the perilous cold of a freezing pond, reuniting him with his anxious father in a scene that tugged at the heartstrings.

The young boy, known only as ‘Coco,’ went missing, prompting a frantic search by his parents and local authorities. The Volusia Sheriff’s Office released gripping footage capturing the drama as deputies worked tirelessly to locate the boy, who has autism and is nonverbal.

During the search, Air One, a police helicopter tasked with aerial surveillance, played a crucial role in spotting Coco. The child was found standing waist-deep in icy waters, a chilling situation that demanded immediate action.

In the tense moments captured in the footage, the helicopter pilot’s voice could be heard urgently directing officers on the ground to Coco’s location, emphasizing the need for speed: “Just head straight North, you’ll run right into him,” the pilot instructed over the radio.

The pilot of the helicopter could be heard on the footage urging officers to race to save the boy from the ice-cold water, telling them over the radio: ‘Just head straight North, you’ll run right into him.’ 

Officers scoured the terrain to locate the missing child, and found him shivering in the pond. 

‘Don’t yell – I think that makes him nervous,’ one officer was heard saying as he calmly approached the confused child. 

‘If somebody hasn’t called rescue – we’re going to need them. This water’s really cold, and he’s shaking,’ the officer added. 

Incredible video footage captured the moment a police officer rescued a missing boy from a freezing pond and reunited him with his father in an emotional scene

Officers rescued a six-year-old boy named Coco from a freezing pond on Christmas night and safely returned him to his emotional father 

Coco’s father tearfully ran to his son when he saw that officers had rescued the little boy. Coco is nonverbal and has autism 

The cop could be seen in the footage calmly introducing himself to Coco, scooping him up, and telling the little boy that they were going to get him a blanket. 

The boy was then reunited with his father in emotional scenes, and the pair ran to each other in tears and embraced. 

The sheriff’s department said that Coco is known to be attracted to water and started taking swimming lessons after he was involved in a similar incident in August 2024. 

Video footage from that previous rescue captured the moments when officers first spotted Coco in a pond. 

They were seen running through the water before Deputy Wes Borough rescued Coco and carried him to safety. 

‘To have him hold on to me tightly like that – it felt like it was my own kid holding on to me,’ Borough said at the time.  

The Volusia Sheriff’s Department said they spoke to Coco’s family about improving precautionary measures and encouraged the child to wear an AngelSense tracker.

The tracker is designed for those with autism, special needs, or dementia. Caregivers can see their location in the app at all times. 

The sheriff’s department said that Coco is known to be attracted to water and started taking swimming lessons in August 2024 

A similar incident happened in August 2024, when Coco went missing and was rescued from a pond by sheriff’s deputies 

Deputy Wes Borough rescued Coco from the water in 2024. He said that when Coco held onto him, it felt like his own child 

The video of Coco’s rescue has gone viral on social media, with many praising the first responders for saving the child. 

‘I cried watching this. For the child and the father. I could not imagine what this life is like. However my mother in law lived with us with dementia. We were lucky she didn’t wander off but some do. Thank you Volusia County Sheriffs. You are true heroes,’ one comment read. 

‘So happy he was found, that is so scary to worry about that. Thankfully neither time did he run into any dangerous critters. The family did receive a Christmas blessing,’ another wrote. 

‘Thank you for a second happy ending in this child’s story. My autistic son always loves being in the water too. It made for some scary times when he was younger. So glad he’s safe,’ wrote a third.