TAMPA, FL — A 5-year-old autistic boy reported missing Friday morning in Tampa was found dead in a nearby pond after an extensive search, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the child was last seen around 5 a.m. inside his family’s home in the area of Cypress Mulch Circle and Northgreen Avenue.
One of the child’s parents woke up around 9 a.m. and discovered a hole in the back screen of the home, the sheriff’s office said.
After searching the residence and surrounding neighborhood without finding the boy, the parent called 911 around 9:30 a.m. to report him missing.
The search quickly expanded to include more than 140 personnel, along with the sheriff’s office Aviation Unit, Drone Team, K-9 Unit and Dive Team. Authorities found the child dead in a nearby pond shortly after 11 a.m., officials said.
“There are no words that can ease the pain of losing a child,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “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. I am incredibly proud of how quickly our agency responded, but my heart breaks that the outcome wasn’t what we all prayed for.”
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