Five-year-old boy with autism second to drown in apartment complex pond in just two months

A five-year-old autistic boy has drowned in a retention pond at the Northgreen at Carrollwood apartment complex in Tampa, Florida, making him the second autistic child to die in a pond at the same complex within two months. His death prompted a major search involving more than 140 police units, highlighting ongoing safety concerns about unfenced water features at residential complexes, particularly for children with autism who may be prone to wandering.

The boy's father reported him missing at around 9.30am on Friday after waking to find him gone from their shared bed and noticing a broken patio screen door. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said deputies used aviation, drones, a K9 unit and a dive team to search the area, with a bloodhound repeatedly circling a retention pond roughly 30 feet from the apartment. The child was found dead under about five feet of water; he had recently celebrated his birthday and was due to start kindergarten. The earlier fatality at the same complex, two months prior, also involved a five-year-old autistic child who drowned in a different retention pond.