Boy found unresponsive in Pawtucket pool
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) — An investigation is underway after a 9-year-old boy was discovered unresponsive in a swimming pool Wednesday afternoon, according to police.
First responders were called to a home on Oak Hill Avenue after the child, who police said has autism, was found floating in the pool.
Police said CPR was performed on the child, who was then rushed to Hasbro Children’s Hospital. His condition is unknown at this time, however, police said the boy has been transferred from the emergency room to intensive care.
The boy had been reported missing by his family earlier in the day, according to police.
Joanne Quinn, executive director of The Autism Project, said it’s important for law enforcement to know how common it is for autistic children to elope, or wander off and leave the safety of someone’s care without permission.
Quinn also explained children with autism are attracted to water, which is why more than 70% of deadly elopements involve drowning.
“If a child is missing just go to the water,” Quinn said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s July or it’s February. They remember the pool and they don’t understand that it’s freezing cold outside. They don’t understand that they’re not safe. They just remember how good it feels in the water.”
Karla Sherman, who created the Jayce The Healer Foundation to raise awareness for water safety after her son drowned in a backyard pool more than a decade ago, told 12 News she feels for the boy’s family.
“It’s very heartbreaking and very painful,” Sherman said, “Our prayers and condolences are with them. We hope he makes a full recovery.”