A 2-year-old Florida boy who vanished on Tuesday was found dead hours later in a pond near his home, authorities said.
According to WPEC, Shamar Windhom’s father called 911 after the toddler vanished from their Vero Beach home. Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said the father claimed he was feeding another child when Windhom possibly vanished via a second-floor window.
“The autistic child, 2-year-old in a diaper, pushed against one of those screens, the screen popped out, and when we arrived on scene, the screen was still hanging,” Flowers said, according to WBPF.
Flowers noted that the distance between the second-floor window and the ground was 20 feet. Some foliage, which was wet due to rain, is believed to have broken Windhom’s fall before he walked to a pond 30 yards from his home and drowned, WPEC reported.
Windhom was autistic and nonverbal, and his parents said he was attracted to water. Windhom’s mother was at work at the time of the incident, and the father was caring for him and another child because they were sick. The father reportedly left the windows open to bring fresh air into the apartment.
A dive team discovered Windhom’s body late Tuesday. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.
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[Feature Photo: Indian River Sheriff’s Office]
