Kill Devil Hills Officers rescue missing 6-year-old child from pond

Two Kill Devil Hills police officers are recognized after rescuing a missing 6-year-old child from a pond.

The incident happened Friday morning when officers were dispatched to a missing child call in the Bermuda Bay neighborhood. The child, who is non-verbal and severely autistic, managed to slip away from his family while they were packing to leave.

Every available officer, administrator, and investigator from the Kill Devil Hills Police Department immediately began to search for the boy.

Approximately 15 minutes after the 911 call, 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 dove into the water without hesitation as the child sank under the surface. They quickly removed the child from the water and began first aid.

Kill Devil Hills Fire Department and Dare County EMS provided further medical attention.

A bystander also joined the officers in their efforts to save the child.

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

Delmonte is a seasoned officer with over 11 years of experience. He joined the Kill Devil Hills Police Department in 2019 after serving seven years with the Portsmouth Police Department.

Gray is a more recent addition to the force, having served for five years. He left the KDHPD about a year ago but returned last week. Prior to that, he worked with the Dare County Sheriff's Office.