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Tragedy was narrowly avoided after two Kill Devil Hills police officers rescued a 6-year-old child from a pond in the area of Bermuda Bay.

According to the Kill Devil Hills Police Department, on Friday, August 25, 2023 at around 9:20 a.m., Kill Devil Hills officers were dispatched to the report of a missing child in the Bermuda Bay neighborhood. A KDHPD news release stated that the child, identified as a 6-year-old, non-verbal, severely autistic boy, managed to slip away unnoticed from his family while they were packing to leave.

“Every available officer, administrator and investigator from Kill Devil Hills PD immediately began a coordinated search for the boy. Bermuda Bay is located near Colington Road and is a densely packed neighborhood with winding streets and cul-de-sacs,” stated the release.

Approximately 15 minutes after the 911 call, Kill Devil Hills patrol officers Joey Delmonte and Austin Gray spotted the boy floating in a pond in the southern section of Bermuda Bay near Paget Road. “Officers Gray and Delmonte immediately entered the water as the child began to sink under the surface,” stated the release. “The officers removed the child from the water and began first aid. The child was struggling to breathe as he had ingested a considerable amount of water. Further medical attention was provided by Kill Devil Hills Fire Department and Dare County EMS.”

Officers were joined by a civilian bystander in their efforts to save the child.

The child was transported to The Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head for further evaluation.

“Officer Delmonte is a 11-year veteran and has been with Kill Devil Hills PD since 2019, coming to our agency after 7 years with Portsmouth PD. Officer Gray is a 5-year veteran. He left KDHPD approximately a year ago and just returned last week. Officer Gray previously worked with the Dare County Sheriff’s office,” noted the KDHPD news release.

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