On Saturday at approximately 12:45 p.m., Tomahawk Police Department officers were dispatched to the area of Kings Road and the Hwy. 51 bridge in reference to an unattended child in the water.
Officer Tom Tollefson arrived on scene and discovered that the 10-year-old boy was in the water and refused to come out. He knew from prior contacts that the child lived in the Kings Hill area. He also knew that the child was non-verbal and autistic.
Officer Tollefson asked the child to exit the water. The child refused a swam further into the river. Officer Tollefson observed the child go under the water. The officer entered the water, swam to the child and was able to locate him under water based on colored shirt the child was wearing. Officer Tollefson was able to pull the child from under the water and then secured the youth and swam to the shore.
The reporting party indicated that the child had been swimming in the water for 20-30 minutes before the officer’s arrival. The reporting party indicated that they called police when the child kept going further into the river. It was noted that the child was discovered in approximately 10-15 feet of water. A Lincoln County sheriff’s deputy met both parties on shore.
The child’s father was contacted and arrived on scene. The youth was released to the custody of the father.