Pasco, Florida – The Pasco Sheriff’s Office responded with urgency on October 6, 2025, after receiving a call at approximately 3:30 p.m. about a missing five-year-old autistic, nonverbal child near Lake Lisa Park.

Missing persons calls are among the most common for the sheriff’s office and are treated with the highest priority, especially when water is involved, due to the added risk.

Upon arrival, deputies were informed by citizens that the child had been seen in the nearby lake. Officers rushed to the scene and jumped a fence, discovering that the child’s 17-year-old brother had already entered the water, holding the child safely on a branch while remaining in the lake.

Deputies assisted in safely recovering both the child and her brother from the water. The Pasco Sheriff’s Office commended the older sibling for his brave and quick actions that ensured the child’s safety.

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