The body of an 8-year-old autistic boy in Texas was found in a lake early Sunday morning after a desperate search for the missing child.
An AMBER alert has been issued for Ryan Akagbusi, a non-speaking autistic child, after he was last seen leaving his home in Richmond, Fort Bend County, at 4:56 a.m. Saturday wearing a pink shirt with an iguana design.
Surveillance cameras caught Akagbusi walking with shoes on, but later showed him walking barefoot at around 5:37 a.m.
“I saw his shoes on the street,” said the boy’s mother, Admorowa Oladind KHOU“I picked up his shoes and the camera filmed him exactly where I picked up his shoes – running.”
Search efforts, led by Texas EquuSearch, police dogs, helicopters, drones and a dive team, focused on nearby waters.
Authorities recovered the boy’s body shortly before 7 a.m. Sunday from a pond in a park in the Lake Mont Bend area, near his last known whereabouts.
Community members speak out about the tragedy.
“I am deeply shocked. A child died this morning,” said local resident Porsche Smith KHOU. “I woke up this morning and it was the first thing I thought of. Everyone needs to hug you (the mother) now because I can’t imagine it.”
Despite extensive efforts to find him safely, the result is a heartbreaking reminder of the dangers faced by autistic children.
Newsweek For further details, please contact the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department.
Autism and drowning risk
Newsweek interviewed the renowned American psychologist Ami Kim, who has over 30 years of experience in autism research.
He suggested a possible connection between the attraction of water and the escape behavior of people with autism. In this context, escape refers to cases in which people with autism escape, run away, or wander away from their caregivers.
“Children and adolescents with this problem tend to run into the streets or bodies of water,” Klin said. “Individuals with this profile have twice the risk of premature death compared to their normal peers.”
According to a report from the National Autism Association, children with autism are 160 times more likely to die by drowning than the general child population.
“Autistic people are not attracted to people, but to things,” Klin said. “They tend to understand things better than people.”
Allie Tasche, vice president of national programs at the Autism Society of America, said Newsweek There are preventative measures to ensure the safety of an autistic child.
She recommends using multiple protective measures, such as pool fences, enclosures and door alarms at water sources. Also, hire a water guard or stay in areas with lifeguards.
People at risk can be located using GPS technology. People who are not confident swimmers should wear life jackets. People at risk can also wear identification bracelets or pins.
According to the Autism Society of Florida, 99 children with autism died by drowning in 2023, 94 in 2022, and 99 in 2021.
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