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Sunny Isles Beach recognizes officer and civilian rescuer after autism‑informed training aided May rescue
Summary
City officials honored Officer Justin Laurado and civilian rescuer Michael Donnellan Santana after the police department and ocean rescue completed specialized autism-awareness and response training and the two helped rescue a 17‑year‑old from the Intracoastal Waterway on May 21, 2026.
The commission publicly recognized an on‑duty officer and a civilian rescuer Wednesday after the police department and ocean rescue division completed specialized autism-awareness and response training and were credited with saving a teenager on May 21, 2026.
The police chief announced the department achieved autism‑certified organization status through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards and said “100% of our police department and ocean rescue division personnel have completed the specialized training,” a milestone the chief said demonstrates the city’s commitment to safer, more inclusive responses for people with autism and sensory sensitivities.
The chief described a May 21 rescue: an officer, identified in the record as Officer Justin Laurado, located a 17‑year‑old struggling in the Intracoastal Waterway near 183rd Street and North Bay Road and, with assistance from Michael Donnellan Santana, a civilian landscaper who ran to help, lifted the juvenile to dry land. The chief said the officer used training‑taught techniques to remain calm and de‑escalate while fire‑rescue responded; the teen’s father told staff his son has autism and had run away after spotting an open gate.
Mayor Specht and other commissioners praised the departments for their training and the collaborative rescue. “The fact that we are 100% trained is incredible and that we have members of the community willing to do whatever it takes to support this community is really, really incredible,” the mayor said during the recognition.
The commission invited the officer and Mr. Santana forward for photos and extended thanks to the department for work supporting residents with autism. The record contains inconsistent spellings of the officer’s surname in different segments; the transcript first identifies him as Officer Justin Laurado and the civilian as Michael Donnellan Santana. The commission did not take formal action but presented public recognition and thanks.
