ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Tonight, a St. Johns County family is mourning the loss of their seven-year-old girl.
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The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said Adalyn Laymon, an autistic and nonverbal child drowned in a pond near her home.
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A neighbor who lives close by told Action News Jax Annette Gutierrez off camera that he saw deputies pull little Adalyn out of a retention pond.
Another neighbor, Ed Nolan, said this was devastating to hear about.
“That’s horrible, horrible news,” Nolan said.
An entire neighborhood came together to search for little Adalyn when the non-verbal girl was reported missing.
But an hour after the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office put out an alert about little Adelyn, they found her in the retention pond behind her house.
ORIGINAL STORY: 7-year-old autistic girl who was missing, taken to the hospital has died, St. Johns deputies say
A spokesperson said a firefighter and deputy found her underneath the water – not far from the shore. They immediately began CPR and rushed her to the hospital, but she later passed away.
“It’s devastating to all of us in the community to hear this very very sad news,” Nolan said. “Our hearts go out to the family and our condolences to all of them.”
So far this year, St. Johns County Fire Rescue says it has responded to six drowning calls, and this was the first that was fatal.
The Department of Children and Families reports 74 drownings have happened in the state this year. But today’s drowning would make that number 75.
“We are sadly in a really bad place at this point of this year,” Autism Society of Florida President Stacey Hoaglund said.
She says according to her data, there have been 12 more drownings compared to this time last year.
Hoaglund says kids with autism are typically drawn to the water.
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“There’s nothing like water - It’s very sensory,” Hoaglund said. “Unfortunately, they’re drawn to water, and if they’re not prepared for entering the water, you know, something devastating could happen.”
She encourages parents to teach their kids how to swim in all bodies of water, learn CPR, and also put-up barriers.
“You have to have alarms on your doors,” Hoaglund said. “You have to have locks on your doors. You have to have fencing around your pools, or, you know, your backyard.”
She also says to make sure your child’s flotation device is Coast Guard approved. She said the water wings are not.
The sheriff’s office said this was a tragic accident and no foul play was suspected.
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