ALBUQUERQUE — Search-and-rescue workers found an autistic teenager Monday who had wandered away from his family during a weekend outing at White Sands National Monument and spent the night in the sand dunes with no food or water.
Monument officials said the autistic 15-year-old was spotted midmorning by a U.S. Air Force Black Hawk helicopter. He was walking in the dunes about 6 miles from where he was last seen.
The paramedic flight crew examined the teen, whose name was not released, and reported that he was in good condition. He was then flown to the command post and reunited with his family members, who are from El Paso.
The rescue came a week after a successful search for an Oklahoma couple who got lost at the monument while trying to hike back to their vehicle after the man proposed. The couple contacted a relative via cellphone and requested help.
