Boy with autism found after massive police search in Hubbardston

HUBBARDSTON, Mass. — A boy with autism is home safe after a frightening ordeal for his family.

That boy, who has extremely limited verbal skills, wandered off from his home in Hubbardston Saturday afternoon.

Family members tell FOX25 it was a terrifying afternoon when 14-year-old Rowan Campbell left the yard while playing with the family dog.

“Rowan broke out of the fence and crawled out of the fence - that's the only way I can figure him getting out of the back yard - we've never had a problem before with him getting out of the back yard,” Jayde Campbell, Rowan’s father, said.

Rowan's family spent about 30 minutes searching before calling police, who responded with K9, air, and dive units to search the woods and pond near the family’s home.

"I was more fearful he was wandering into - we have 400 acres of woods on the other side of my house and that's an awful big area to be looking for someone and we couldn't find him quickly but you know I was panicked, I was running up and down the street looking and screaming his name,” Jayde Campbell said.

A police officer who had recently undergone autism training found Rowan skipping rocks at a nearby pond and was able to approach him without alarming him.

“Autistic children tend to shy away from loud noises, Hubbardston Police Chief Dennis Perron said. “So we have to try to break down that barrier of law enforcement with the child and kind of get down on their level.”

Rowan was taken to an ambulance where he was checked out and is doing just fine.

Cox Media Group