A 5-year-old child died Saturday after Broward Sheriff's Office and Tamarac Fire Rescue found the boy in a waterway in Tamarac.
The incident happened shortly after 1 p.m. after authorities received a call regarding a missing endangered child in the area near 60 Ann Lee Lane in Tamarac.
Deputies and firefighters responded to the scene and found the child in a nearby waterway. They pulled him out of the water and immediately began lifesaving measures.
BSO’s Aviation Unit also responded to the scene and transported the child to a nearby hospital, where the child was later pronounced dead.
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BSO’s Homicide and Crime Scene units are investigating, but have not released any details on the child's identity or what led up to the incident.
The family said the child had autism. Water safety advocates said children on the autism spectrum are more at risk of drowning.
“Drowning has always been the No. 1 cause of unintentional death of children under the age of 6," said Jay Sanford of Broward County's Parks & Rec. Swim Central. "So 5 and under, so when you put on top of that the child was autistic, and children with autism drown at a rate of 160 times of a typical developing child."
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The number of children who have drowned has gone up in the last few years. In Florida, 65 and 69 children died by drowning in 2019 and 2020 respectively, according to the Department of Children and Families. But in the last two years, that’s jumped into the 90s, with 99 children drowning in Florida in 2021, hitting a record.
The county gives swimming lessons year-round for kids and offers a $40 coupon for Broward residents. BSO also encourages residents to sign up for its Road 2 Safety program to be informed of important life safety and prevention measures.
Editor's note: BSO previously reported the child was 6 years old, but family members told NBC 6 he was 5. This story has been updated.
