The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board is investigating how an autistic Brampton boy went missing on a supervised school field trip Wednesday, sparking a frantic search by police, teaching staff and family members that lasted more than seven hours.

Thankfully, Daniel Podleszanski, 15, a student at Cardinal Ambrozic Catholic Secondary School in Brampton, was found safe in Mississauga late Wednesday just before 9:30 p.m. in the area of Hurontario Street and Britannia Road East by a member of the public who phoned police.

“He is doing fine and has been re-united with his family,” said Peel Regional Police Const. Harinder Sohi.

The teen disappeared just after 2 p.m. Wednesday and was last seen in the area of Steeles Avenue and Keele Street in Toronto. At some point, he was at the Bramalea City Centre bus loop as well, in the area of Dixie Road and Queen Street East, according to police.

The incident caused a flurry of frustration and anger online and in the school community.

“How on earth could this happen?” said John Dunbar on Facebook. “He has special needs. Was he not being watched?”

Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board spokesperson Bruce Campbell confirmed the teen was on a supervised field trip and got on the wrong bus during a transfer.

Happy that the teen was found safe and returned to his family, Campbell said “we will be looking at the circumstances of this matter in detail.”

School trustee for the area, Shawn Xaviour, was also thankful for the teen's safe return home and said there will be an investigation into what happened. He also said the trip was "well-supervised."

"We will certainly be looking at the circumstances of how this could have happened,” he said.