Officials navigating the area by foot and air helped find the boy

A boy with autism was found alive near mangroves in New Zealand after he went missing from home, with just hours to spare before high tide.

On Friday, July 10, around 12:30 p.m. local time, a mom called police to report that her son had gone missing from her Glendene property, according to a statement shared to social media by the New Zealand Police.

A neighbor in the area said they saw the missing boy walking toward an area of bush near a body of water, acting Inspector Nick Salter, Waitematā West Police, said in the release.

“Time became critical, given high tide was coming in a few hours, so we had Eagle overhead searching the water,” said officials, who responded to the incident by both air and ground.

After searching for a few minutes, officials found the boy near mangroves in the area, they said.

After spotting the boy by air, Salter said officials were directed to his location.

The boy was found “wet and muddy,” but was safe and not in need of any medical assistance.

Wandering, also known as elopement, is a behavior that is relatively common among young children with autism, according to the National Autism Association.

The organization says wandering can leave individuals “vulnerable to dangerous situations” and may occur when a child is trying to reach something of interest or escape something distressing, such as loud noises, crowded environments, fears or phobias, or overwhelming demands.

Wandering can include running away from caregivers at school or in the community, leaving a classroom without permission, or exiting the home without a caregiver’s knowledge, the association said. While this behavior is common and typically short-lived among toddlers, it may persist or later re-emerge in some children with autism.

New Zealand Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional information on Tuesday, July 14.

Source: https://people.com/missing-boy-with-autism-found-alive-mangroves-12019107