Current:Home > ScamsBoy, 8, found dead in pond near his family's North Carolina home: 'We brought closure' -Wealth Momentum Network
Boy, 8, found dead in pond near his family's North Carolina home: 'We brought closure'
View
Date:2025-04-14 05:19:25
Authorities in North Carolina have recovered the body of a missing autistic and non-verbal 8-year-old boy who officials said disappeared from his home this week.
The Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office told USA TODAY Zachariah William Walker of Ronda was found dead in a small pond near his home just before noon Wednesday.
The small town is about 45 miles northwest of Winston-Salem.
The boy was reported missing by family on Tuesday, according to the sheriff's office.
More than three dozen local and state agencies, community volunteers and friends and family searched for the boy for more than a 16 hour period after Zachariah disappeared, according to a sheriff's office press release.
Reavis said between 100 to 150 personnel across dozens of agencies participated in the search for Zach.
“We want them to know and to feel like we were here in a positive way, to support and come to a positive outcome, and even though we did not, we want to know that we brought closure and that they're in our thoughts and our prayers, and we want to support them to the best of our ability,” Wilkes County Emergency Medical Services Director Jason Reavis told WXII-TV.
Her boy wandered from home and died:This mom wants you to know the perils of 'elopement.'
Coroner to determine how Zachariah William Walker officially died
Foul play is not suspected in the missing person case, but sheriff's office Major Logan Kerr said the case remained under investigation on Friday.
A coroner will determine the boy's official cause and manner of death.
'She had a fire in her':80-year-old grandmother killed while defending dogs in Seattle carjacking
Dangers of 'elopement'
According to the National Autism Association, many non-verbal children frequently disappear in what's called "elopement" − the tendency for someone to try to leave the safety of a responsible person's care or a safe area.
Research shows some people with autism elope because they are overwhelmed with sensory stimulation of something too loud or too bright, but the most common trigger of elopement is wanting to get closer to an object, drawing their curiosity.
A review by the association discovered more than 800 elopement cases from 2011 and 2016 with nearly a third being fatal or where the child required medical attention, while another 38% involved a close call with water, traffic, or another life-threatening situation.
Do you know this suspect?Man caught on video stealing lemonade-stand money from Virginia 10-year-old siblings
Recently reported child elopement cases
A recent reported case took place Aug. 6 in Boise, Idaho, where police recovered the body of a missing autistic 5-year-old boy who disappeared from his birthday party earlier in the week.
The Boise Police Department reported Matthew Glynn's body was found on Aug. 7 in a canal about a half-mile from where the boy was last seen at home.
That same day, about 2,000 miles southeast on Florida's Atlantic coast, a 5-year-old boy with autism also disappeared from his home.
Not long after the boy went missing, a Volusia County Sheriff's Office deputy located the boy in a nearby pond holding onto a log. Body camera footage shows the deputy jumping into the pond and carrying the boy to safety.
Contributing: Ahjané Forbes
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
veryGood! (92959)
Related
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Can dehydration cause nausea? Get to know the condition's symptoms, causes.
- Death Valley, known for heat and drought, got about a year's worth of rain in a day from Hilary
- San Francisco Archdiocese files for bankruptcy in the face of sexual abuse lawsuits
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- 'Hell on wheels' teen gets prison in 100 mph intentional crash that killed boyfriend, friend
- New Hampshire sheriff accepts paid leave after arrest on theft, perjury charges
- Washington Commanders end Baltimore Ravens' preseason win streak at 24 games
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Trump co-defendants in Fulton County case begin surrendering ahead of Friday deadline
Ranking
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Want to tune in for the first GOP presidential debate? Here’s how to watch
- Rihanna and A$AP Rocky welcome second child, reports say
- Biden pledges to help Maui ‘for as long as it takes,’ Richardson's 100M win: 5 Things podcast
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- Decapitated bodies found in Mexico may be linked to video showing kidnapped youth apparently being forced to kill others
- 'Rust' armorer's trial set for 2024 in fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on movie set
- Unionized UPS workers approve contract leaders agreed to in late July
Recommendation
Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
Domino's pizza chain introduces pepperoni-stuffed cheesy bread
Fake Arizona rehab centers scam Native Americans far from home, officials warn during investigations
Tropical Storm Franklin nears Haiti and the Dominican Republic bringing fears of floods, landslides
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
Netflix engineer reported missing after ride share trip to San Francisco
Feeling dizzy? It could be dehydration. Here's what to know.
Horoscopes Today, August 22, 2023