K-9 Margo Finds Missing Autistic Teen in Maryland Snowstorm

When a 15-year-old boy with autism disappeared into a Maryland snowstorm, a four-legged hero made all the difference between tragedy and relief.

The teenager left his Bel Air home on the morning of January 25 without telling his family. Outside, sub-freezing temperatures and snow-covered ground created what police described as potentially deadly conditions.

Bel Air Police officers started tracking immediately, following footprints in the snow and talking to anyone who might have seen him. But as hours passed, their concern grew beyond just the cold.

"There is a tendency for people who suffer from autism to want to find a body of water," explained Bel Air Police Chief Charles Moore. Nearby streams and ponds turned the search into a race against time.

That's when Maryland State Police Senior Trooper Taylor Bracken arrived with his bloodhound partner, K-9 Margo. The highly trained tracking dog went to work, leading the team through the winter landscape.

Margo's nose guided searchers to a wooded area roughly a mile from the boy's home. Body camera footage captured the moment they found him, huddled against the cold.

When officers asked how he felt, his one-word answer said everything: "Cold." He was quickly reunited with his family and taken to a hospital for evaluation as a precaution.

Sunny's Take

This story shows what happens when specialized skills meet genuine care. Margo didn't just use her training that day—she became part of a team that refused to give up on a vulnerable teenager.

Every officer who braved the storm, every witness who shared information, and one remarkable bloodhound came together when a family needed them most. In conditions that could have ended in heartbreak, teamwork created a reunion instead.

The teen is safe, warm, and back with his family thanks to quick action and a dog who knew exactly what to do.