PERRY CO. – A 19-year-old autistic teen, Nick Sood, was found safe on Tuesday after a challenging 22-hour search operation in Perry County, bringing immense relief to his family.
A Silver Alert was issued for Nick on Monday after he wandered away from a summer camp in Anderson Woods. Camp staff promptly notified police, triggering an extensive search. Nick is autistic with limited verbal skills.
According to Anderson Woods’ website, the camp’s mission is to provide safe and dignified camping opportunities to children and adults with special needs. It offers a unique learning experience in a nature-filled setting.
“We used a lot of search tactics. We had the helicopters out, we’ve had drones out, emergency personnel that’ve been trained, a dive team because there’s a lot of lakes and rivers and streams around here, we had K-9 units out—there was just a lot of technology being used,” stated Sgt. John Davis.
Nick’s parents, Tanya and Ray Sood, drove 3.5 hours from Indianapolis upon hearing the news. They described the journey as “surreal” as they anxiously awaited updates. They stayed in their car overnight before the camp provided accommodations.
Nick’s family expressed profound gratitude for the overwhelming support they received from law enforcement, first responders, camp staff, and volunteers in finding Nick.
