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Little girl lost: Officer guides crying child to family

Associated Press
Published | Updated

In this April 11, 2017, image provided by Amy Amerell, Clearwater police officer Rich Edmonds holds the hand of a 6-year-old girl on Clearwater Beach, Fla. The girl wandered away from her family and approached another family who called police for assistance. When the child refused to get in the officer's car, he walked her down the beach until they found her family. (Courtesy of Amy Amerell via AP) (The Associated Press)

In this April 11, 2017, image provided by Amy Amerell, Clearwater police officer Rich Edmonds holds the hand of a 6-year-old girl on Clearwater Beach, Fla. The girl wandered away from her family and approached another family who called police for assistance. When the child refused to get in the officer's car, he walked her down the beach until they found her family. (Courtesy of Amy Amerell via AP) (The Associated Press)

A Florida police officer is getting some social media love after a woman snapped a picture of him walking hand-in-hand with a little girl who got separated from her family.

Clearwater police officials said on a Facebook post that the child wandered away from her family on Tuesday evening. After the 6-year-old girl approached several beachgoers, Officer Rich Edmonds came to her rescue.

Police say that when Edmonds realized the crying child didn't want to get in his police car, he walked with her until they found her family farther down the beach.

The photo, posted Friday morning, was shared 59 times before noon.

Clearwater is on Florida's west coast, near Tampa.