SUNRISE, Fla. – An investigation was launched after a child drowned Tuesday night in a lake in Broward County.
Sunrise police said the 4-year-old boy, who was nonverbal and autistic, was found in the water near the 2400 block of Northwest 72nd Avenue after going missing.
The canal is located behind several homes.
Neighbors told Local 10 News that they all helped searched for the child.
In the midst of the search, a neighbor checked their Ring camera and saw the boy going into the water.
Fire rescue crews were then called to the scene around 6:22 p.m.
Once they arrived, they found the young boy dead, saying he was in the water for about an hour. He was pronounced dead at 6:44 p.m.
A neighbor who didn’t want to be identified said it was a frantic search effort to find the child. She said the family had just moved into the home last weekend.
“Everybody in the community came out. I know what that pain is like,” she said, adding that she had lost her own child.
The child’s identity has not been released by police, who confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the boy left his house before making his way to the unfenced canal.
“This heartbreaking incident is considered a tragic accident, and after an extensive investigation, no criminal charges are warranted. Due to the child’s age and the ongoing nature of the investigation, no further details will be released at this time,” a spokesperson for the Sunrise Police Department said in a statement. “The Sunrise Police Department extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the child. Our thoughts are with them during this incredibly difficult time.”