Police Find Missing Autistic Boy at Brighton Dam

Multiple police organizations worked together to locate a missing autistic boy near Brighton Dam in Clarksville.

Karin Swenson noticed her 10-year-old boy had gone missing from the woods behind her home around 2 p.m. on Aug. 18 and began to search for him, said police. After about an hour, she called police.

The residence backs up to the Triadelphia Reservoir property and police initiated a search in that area. Rescue organizations including Howard County Police, Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, Montgomery County Police and the Washington Suburban Sanitation Police all joined the search.

After about two hours, an aviation unit manned by Howard County and Anne Arundel County flight crew spotted the boy at the base of Brighton Dam, said police. Ground personnel then responded to the dam and a police officer waded into the water and rescued the boy, according to police.

“When our son Phillip was missing and we had to call in help to find him, my husband and I were impressed by the cooperation of the first responders from four different jurisdictions: Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Montgomery County and the WSSC,” said Swenson. “What a shining example of cooperation and teamwork without ego. My husband and I are so thankful for all four jurisdictions, and their first responders, who seamlessly coordinated to find our son.”

“The flight that located Phillip is a perfect example of what we can accomplish when we work together,” said Howard County Police Chief William McMahon.