A notable series of drownings involving young children with autism has raised urgent uneasiness about safety in Central Florida parks. Just days apart, Florida authorities reported that two boys—one 5 years old and the other 4—lost their lives after wandering away from their families and ending up in nearby bodies of water in Osceola County.
In a heartbreaking incident at Senses Park in Kissimmee, Fox35 Orlando and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office have revealed that a 5-year-old boy with autism was reported missing by his father on November 13.
The report acknowledged that the father was at the park with his two children when he briefly lost sight of his eldest son while tending to his younger child.
Unfortunately, the 5-year-old boy was later discovered in a pond by a trained bloodhound. Despite the swift response from first responders, who attempted CPR before rushing him to Nemours Children’s Hospital, he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
This incident is unfortunate in light of another drowning that occurred just days earlier.