Sadly not all searches and rescues have a happy outcome. In the case of a missing 6-year-old girl with autism, authorities tragically discovered her remains in an icy pond.
The 6-year-old was nonverbal and was on the spectrum. Authorities discovered her remains near her home, finding her body in a nearby icy pond. She had been missing since Friday afternoon when her parents reported that she had disappeared. This kicked off a massive local search effort by both police and neighbors. They combed the area searching both residential areas and the nearby woods for the girl.
Both the Massachusetts State Police and Norton Emergency Management Agency assisted in the search. Helicopters also provided air support in searching for the missing 6-year-old. Search crews zeroed in on the Barrowsville Pond and Wading River in their search efforts. Ultimately, cold-water rescue crews found the remains of the girl after an hour of searching.
Although they tried to rush her to Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, she ultimately was unable to be revived.
Icy Pond Death
"This is not the day we were looking for, we offer our thoughts and prayers to the family, we offer our condolences," said Norton Police Chief Brian Clark via CBS.
Sadly, children with autism have a likelihood of being fascinated by and drawn to water. This resulted in a tragic outcome for this case.
"You push the button as soon as you can, and we wanted as many resources there as possible," said Chief Clark. "It's sad, she's a little girl, everybody has children, a lot of police officers and firefighters who responded have children and, there's a big autism community, we're just sad that this happened."
Following the tragedy at the icy pond, neighbors in the area mourned the loss. "As a mother you always worry about little ones, they do wander," said neighbor Carol Sheehan. "It's a sad day in Norton, we never like to have news like this."
Meanwhile, Norton Public Schools released a statement about the tragedy.
"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of our 6-year-old students earlier this afternoon," said superintendent Jennifer O'Neill. "Norton Public Schools is working with our local community partners to provide counseling services and support to our students, staff, and families. Our deepest sympathies are with the family and the loved ones of our student."
