Toddler With Autism Found Drowned In Pond After Disappearing From Fairgrounds

A young boy who was diagnosed with autism was found dead on Sunday in a possible drowning near the local fairgrounds of a town in New York after going missing that morning, with authorities in the area looking into the potential cause of the grizzly death.

Onnex Thompson-Hall, a six-year-old boy who was diagnosed with autism when they were young, first went missing on the morning of Sunday, reportedly wearing no shoes and only a diaper at the time of disappearance, according to the Times-Union.

Thompson-Hall’s parents reported him missing in the Washington County Fairgrounds at around 10 a.m. that morning. Local authorities looked for him all day until the State Forest Rangers found his body near a pond close to his home by the evening, the New York Daily News reported.

His death has been suspected to be an accidental drowning, but local authorities have yet to confirm anything regarding the case at this time as the investigation is still ongoing.

The local Easton community has come together in mourning the death of Thompson-Hall, with the Crossroads Center for Children, who claims to be where Thompson-Hall went to school, eulogizing his death on social media.

“We are devastated,” the school said in a statement online.

“The loss of a child is something no one is ready for,” the school continued. “Putting the thoughts together for what to do and how seems impossible. All we want now is for his family to be held up in prayer and support and love.”

The school has helped the Thompson-Halls to set up a donation site that would help them in paying for the young boy’s funeral expenses. It is unclear if the school is also donating money to help out with the family’s expenses.

“Thank you all for your prayers and willingness to help. Please pray for his family at this time and hug your loved ones tight,” the school said.