Community mourns boy found dead in pond: 'It hits all of us, because it could be our kid'

Community mourns 4-year-old boy found dead in pond

Friends and family gathered Monday in Ormond Beach to remember Waylon Childs, a 4-year-old boy with autism who was reported missing Sunday and later found dead overnight in a nearby pond.

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. - Friends and family gathered Monday in Ormond Beach to remember Waylon Childs, a 4-year-old boy with autism who was reported missing Sunday and later found dead overnight in a nearby pond.

Police said Waylon, who was nonverbal, wandered off while visiting a park with his father and drowned.

Experts note that children on the autism spectrum are at a significantly higher risk of drowning compared to their neurotypical peers, largely due to a tendency to wander.

"This year in Florida alone, 95 children have drowned, and 26 of them were autistic," said Jennifer Cicia, a specialist in autism disorders at the University of Central Florida. "That’s over 25% of drowning victims compared to just 3% of children diagnosed with the disorder statewide."

Cicia explained that many autistic children are drawn to water, which increases the danger.

"Oftentimes, they’re seeking out water," Cicia said. "When we put together that higher likelihood of drowning, combined with that likelihood to seek out water, we have a really dangerous situation."

The tragedy struck a chord with Longwood Deputy Mayor Matt Morgan, who has a nonverbal, autistic son.

"When something tragic like this happens, it hits all of us because it could be our kid at any given time," Morgan said.

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