Matthew Glynn missing autistic 5 year old Boise boy found dead in canal after wandering away from his own birthday party.
An autistic 5 year old boy in Idaho was found dead in a canal Tuesday after the missing boy wandering away from his own birthday party, police announced Wednesday.
Matthew Glynn‘s body was recovered at noon from the Farmer’s Union Canal, a 25-mile-long tributary roughly half a mile from the boy’s Boise family home, where his loved ones had been celebrating his birthday.
‘Sadly, this is not the outcome we were all hoping for. Our hearts go out to Matthew’s family, and we extend our deepest condolences during this incredibly difficult time,’ Boise Fire Chief Mark Niemeyer said in a statement.
How did 5 year old autistic boy manage to go missing un-noticed?
The body of water was investigators’ biggest concern and ‘a large focus’ of the search and rescue, police said.
Matthew, who was nonverbal and autistic, had a fascination with water.
The Ada County Coroner ruled that the boy died by drowning and that his death was accidental.
The infant had vanished shortly before 6 p.m. Monday while ‘attending his fifth birthday party with his family and friends,’ Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar said at a press conference.
Matthew was wearing his Batman pajamas at the time and was barefoot.
Following his disappearance, Boise Police, Boise Fire and Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue launched a massive search effort that involved drones, K9s and UTVs — which played the song ‘Wheels on the Bus’ over a loudspeaker to attract the lost boy.
‘When you have an autistic subject that’s nonverbal, they tend to exhibit preferences and behaviors that are potentially a little bit more predictable,’ Winegar said.
‘So, we employed some of those strategies that we had been given.’
Police said there ‘appeared to be no sign of foul play.’
‘We are heartbroken over this development today,’ Winegar reiterated. ‘We want to thank our many partners for their response as well as the public for their willingness to help another member of our community in a time of need.’
How the 5 year old came to wander away from his own birthday gathering un-noticed continues to remain not necessarily understood.
