A deputy waded into a pond and brought an 8-year-old back to her family

On the evening of September 6, Lafayette Parish deputies were sent to the 200 block of Blushing Groom Drive in unincorporated Carencro. An 8-year-old girl who does not speak and who has autism had been reported missing. On the way, deputies were told she had been found and had gone into a nearby pond. Gray News, in a report carried by FOX19 on October 21, 2026, said bystanders were on the bank and the child had gone under.

Cpl. Jared Havard went into the neck-deep water in his duty uniform, reached her, and brought her to the bank. She was reunited with her family. Body-camera video of the rescue was later shared. The account is that exit from the pond. It does not describe her medical condition afterward, and it does not say how she reached the water.