A 5-year-old boy with autism was found dead Friday morning after wandering away from his Florida home and into a nearby retention pond, authorities said.
The child mannged to sneak out of his family’s Hillsborough County apartment and was discovered in waist-high water about 20 to 30 feet from the complex.
“There are no words that can ease the pain of losing a child,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement.
Friday’s tragedy marked the second time an autistic child was found dead in a pond at the same apartment complex in less than two months, according to authorities.
In the latest case, the boy’s father told authorities he last saw his son when they were sharing a bed around 5 a.m.
When he woke again at 9 a.m., the boy was missing.
Following a “frantic” call from the father, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office launched an immediate search.
The operation quickly expanded to include more than 140 units, supported by the HCSO Drone Team, Aviation Unit, K-9 Unit, and Dive Team.
The child was found deceased in the water shortly after 11 a.m.
Chronister described the loss as the family’s “worst day.”
“Today, our entire Sheriff’s Office family grieves alongside this family. Every deputy and detective who responded did so with the goal to bring this little boy home safely,” the sheriff said.
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