A family is devastated after a 4-year-old girl with autism was found unresponsive in a neighbor’s pool hours after going missing from a home in Sutton, Massachusetts. Children with autism are far likelier to drown by drowning, experts say.
A 4-year-old girl with autism went missing in Sutton, Massachusetts, on Thursday afternoon, prompting a large search that ended hours later with no immediate word on the outcome. It wasn't until Friday morning that officials shared the heartbreaking update about what happened to Eva.
The Worcester County District Attorney's Office announced in a statement Friday that Eva had been found unresponsive in a neighbor's pool shortly after the Sutton Police Department received a 911 call around 3:50 p.m. Thursday reporting that she was missing.
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Eva was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester where she was pronounced dead, the DA added.
Sutton police said in a Facebook post Friday that this has been incredibly difficult for both the family and the town's team of first responders.
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"There are no words that we can offer to help ease the heartache our residents are feeling now," the post read. "We are so incredibly sorry."
Sutton police initially shared a photo of Eva on Facebook around 4:33 p.m. Thursday, saying there was a heavy police presence in the area of Peachtree Drive.
Residents were asked to be on alert and to call 911 with any information about Eva. Several neighbors jumped into action to check the neighborhood and the woods.
In addition to a police presence on Peachtree Drive where she disappeared, officers were focused Thursday on a pool at a neighbor's home on Green Street.
Just before 7 p.m., police cryptically said they were no longer asking for assistance with the missing girl. Police thanked everyone who shared their Facebook post, looked for Eva and offered information, but they did not provide any update on the 4-year-old, leaving many wondering what happened.
Further details were not shared Friday. A neighbor told NBC10 Boston that the family is understandably devastated and isn't commenting publicly at this time.
The preschool where Eva attended extended its deepest sympathy to her family Friday.
"As an educator your students are your children, you pour everything into them and love them like they were your own. There are no words to express the depth of sorrow our Small Wonders Family is feeling," Small Wonders Childcare and Preschool wrote in a statement. "Her smile and laugh will remain in our hearts forever. We will always be grateful for the time we spent with our Eva girl."
Sutton Public Schools also sent a letter to the community addressing the loss Friday, sharing that there will be support staff available at Sutton Elementary School on Monday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
"We are incredibly saddened by this loss," interim Supt. Caitlin Paget wrote. "We are here to support our school community."
