EDEN PRAIRIE — A 9-year-old boy with special needs has been found in a marsh after wandering away from a camp in Eden Prairie.

Police say the search for the boy Tuesday was difficult because of the tall reeds, cattails and water and muck. A State Patrol helicopter was launched and the child was spotted from the air.

Eden Prairie Assistant Fire Chief Becki White tells KSTP-TV the boy was found sitting in the middle of a clearing on top of a bed of reeds or a beaver dam.

Authorities say it took up to 25 minutes to bring the child out of the marsh. He was checked by paramedics and returned to Camp Eden Wood.