Autistic Boy Found Clinging To Tree In North Jersey River, Officials Say

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A six-year-old boy was rescued from a river last week after climbing out of his bedroom window and leaving home, officials said.

On Thursday, around 9:20 p.m., Totowa Police received several calls of a young child knocking on doors in the area of 44 Lincoln Avenue and walking east towards the Passaic River.

When police learned they were looking for a six-year-old, non-verbal, autistic boy who had climbed out of his bedroom window roughly 25 minutes before calls came in, a multi-agency search began, authorities said.

Totowa Fire Department assisted with the rescue mission, and search lights were placed in the area of Lincoln Avenue and Totowa Road, along the Passaic River.

Roughly a half hour after calls began pouring in, the boy was spotted at the bottom of the river embankment clinging to a tree half submerged in the water, officials said.

Firefighters were able to pass the boy up from the bottom of the embankment and reunite the boy with his parents, police said.

He was taken to a hospital for evaluation following the rescue.