A Florida youngster with autism was discovered dead hours after going missing while visiting a nearby park with his family, according to authorities.
On Sunday, November 17, the Ormond Beach Police Department (OBPD) issued a news release stating that the body of 4-year-old Waylon Childs was discovered in Central Park close to Fleming Avenue in Ormond Beach.
According to the police, the child vanished at noon on the same day while at the park with his father and two siblings, all of whom were younger than five.
According to authorities, the boy’s body was found by a dive team on November 17 at approximately 9 p.m. local time.
Waylon’s Death was a Foul Play
At a press conference that was obtained by NBC station WESH, Ormond Beach police public information officer Pauline Dulang stated that authorities do not believe that Waylon’s death was the result of foul play.
The report also stated that the youngster was nonverbal, according to the police. How the youngster got into the sea was not disclosed by Dulang. The time to “come together as a community” is now, she said.
Dulang told reporters, “Today is just a bad day and a tragic case.” According to the OBPD, Waylon was found with the help of the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and “local law enforcement from neighboring cities.”
The community and all the agencies searching for Waylon were praised “for their support and efforts during this search” by Police Chief Jesse Godfrey in a statement.
Godfrey declared, “This is a tragic tragedy, and our hearts are with Waylon’s family during this unfathomable loss.”
The department “remains committed to standing with the family and our community in the days ahead,” the chief continued.