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Brevard County child with autism found dead in pond after reported missing, deputies say

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Updated  May 9, 2025 7:11pm EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 35 Orlando

Boy, 4, with autism drowns after wandering from home

A 4-year-old boy with autism was found dead in a pond near a Rockledge apartment complex Thursday morning, less than an hour after his mother called 911 to report him missing, authorities said.

The Brief

    • A 4-year-old child with autism was reported missing Friday morning from Brevard County.
    • Deputies say they found the child dead in a pond about an hour later.
    • Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - A 4-year-old boy with autism was found dead in a pond on Friday morning after being reported missing less than an hour earlier in Brevard County, deputies say.

4-year-old boy found dead in pond

What we know:

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) says the boy was reported missing around 8:30 a.m. on Friday, May 9. 

Deputies say they received a frantic call from the boy's mother saying her child had unlocked the door and gotten out of their home at the Mission Bay Apartments on Murrell Road in Rockledge.

Officials began searching the area immediately, and aviation units spotted what they believed to be the child in a pond in the complex less than an hour later, around 9:20 a.m.

Authorities believe the child may have slipped down the bank of the pond and into the water and did not know how to swim.

The 4-year-old boy was found dead in a pond at the Mission Bay Apartments on Murrell Road in Rockledge, deputies say.

What we don't know:

Deputies have not yet identified the boy or his parents. They are continuing to investigate the exact events that led to the boy's death.

What they're saying:

A search involving 30 to 40 deputies and agents ended tragically when the boy’s body was found in a nearby retention pond.

"Unfortunately, children are very enamored with water," a sheriff’s office spokesperson said. "If they don’t know how to swim, it usually doesn’t end well."

Dig deeper:

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children with autism, experts say. In Florida alone, 95 children drowned last year, 26 of whom were diagnosed with autism. Officials are urging families with autistic children to consider water safety classes.

What's next:

Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident.  

The incident remains under investigation, but no charges have been filed.

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office in an email and press conference on May 9, 2025.

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