PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) \u2014 New details are emerging after a 5-year-old boy with autism was found dead late Monday night, hours after he wandered away from his home in Port St. Lucie. Police now say the drowning appears accidental.<\/p>\n
During a 3 p.m. news conference Tuesday, Police Chief Leo Niemczyk said the 5-year-old boy, Zam Tuang, was found in a nearby retention pond after a widespread search that involved drones, bloodhounds, and every available officer. Officers and fire rescue crews performed CPR for an extended period, but Zam was pronounced dead around 11 p.m.<\/p>\n
Child exited through two secured garage doors, police say<\/p>\n
Port St. Lucie Police<\/a> Chief Niemczyk stressed that the incident appears to be a tragic series of human errors \u2014 not a criminal act.<\/p>\n The boy was being supervised by his father at the time he disappeared. Police say there were multiple safety measures in place inside the home, but Zam managed to open two garage doors: the interior door leading into the garage and then the exterior garage door leading outside.<\/p>\n A secondary safety lock on the interior door was not latched, and investigators are working to determine whether the family, who faces a language barrier, realized the child was capable of reaching and opening that lock.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a tragic, serious incident,\u201d Niemczyk said. \u201cClearly, it wasn\u2019t like there was a door left open unattended.\u201dFamily includes two other autistic children<\/p>\n Only Zam and his father were home during the incident, though the family includes two other autistic children. Police say the family is accustomed to the challenges that come with caring for multiple children with autism.<\/p>\n Boy found nine houses away<\/p>\n According to police, Zam was found about nine residential lots up the street from his home near the intersection of SW Juliet and SW Hampshire Lane, according to the news release. Residents jumped into the water to help search, and one neighbor ultimately pulled the child from the pond and alerted police.<\/p>\n A police K-9 had tracked directly to the same pond earlier in the search, according to PSLPD. <\/p>\n \u201cIt happened so fast,\u201d Niemczyk said. \u201cThey get away real fast.\u201d<\/p>\n 45-minute delay in calling 911<\/p>\n Niemczyk reiterated an urgent message to all parents and caretakers: call 911 <\/a>immediately when a child goes missing.<\/p>\n He said there was about a 45-minute delay before the call to 911 \u2014 a span of time that proved critical.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s human nature to look for your child first,\u201d he said. \u201cBut you have to train yourself out of that habit. Call us immediately. Don\u2019t be embarrassed. We would much rather find the child hiding under a bed.\u201d<\/p>\n Police working to provide new tracking tools to families<\/p>\n The chief announced the department is expanding partnerships with community groups and technology providers to help prevent future tragedies.<\/p>\n While PSLPD already uses Project Lifesaver<\/a> \u2014 a radio-frequency program for tracking vulnerable individuals \u2014 the agency is now evaluating AngelSense<\/a>, a GPS-based solution that allows caretakers to track a child instantly and receive alerts when the child exits a designated geofenced area.<\/p>\n \u201cIf that child steps out that garage door, the parent gets an alert immediately,\u201d Niemczyk said. \u201cYou open the app and see exactly where they are.\u201d<\/p>\n The department is also working to better identify families in the community caring for autistic children, as many have not connected with available resources.<\/p>\n Community support and upcoming autism event<\/p>\n