Mason Newstead: Missing autistic 4-year-old Welaka boy found dead in river, deputies say

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — UPDATE, 3/22/24, 12:30 P.M.: A GoFundMe has been set up for Mason’s family. To learn more about it, click here.

UPDATE 6:01 P.M.: Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Colonel Joseph Wells said at 5:20 p.m., Mason’s body was found in the river by divers.

He and Welaka Mayor Jamie Watts asked the community to keep Mason’s family in their thoughts and prayers.

Wells said Ring camera evidence indicated that Mason was headed toward the water.

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UPDATE 4:50 P.M.: The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office held a briefing at 4:50 p.m. providing details on the search for a missing 4-year-old boy, Mason Newstead.

A 9-1-1 call was received at 2:57 p.m. from Mason’s mother, who frantically called emergency services.

Mason is described as being autistic -- non-verbal.

The sheriff’s office stated that there is “absolutely no signs of child neglect or foul play” and that the boy wandered away from a resort park located close to the St. Johns River.

Aviation units from St. Johns County, bloodhounds from St. Johns, Putnam, and Flagler Counties, and marine units from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) are all working to locate the missing boy.

The sheriff’s office is asking everyone in the area to be on the lookout for Mason. They want residents to check their Ring cameras as at least one showed the missing boy, which has helped the search effort.

Mason was last seen wearing gray pajamas with superheroes on them.

“The search will not end until we bring Mason home,” PCSO said during the briefing.

The search area extends multiple miles out from the river and is much smaller and more concentrated in the marine search.

The sheriff’s office also stressed that the public needs to know Mason might not answer if they call to him.

Although criminal investigators are on scene, that doesn’t indicate a crime. Officials said that it’s part of the protocol during the search for a missing child.

Officials also said that the search will continue into the night and special equipment would be used if a night-time search needs to be conducted.

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ORIGINAL STORY: The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in finding a missing boy.

Mason Newstead, 4, wandered from his home on Front Street in Welaka around 12:30 p.m., PCSO said in a Facebook post.

There is a heavy law enforcement presence in the area searching for him.

Around 3:30 p.m., PCSO announced on its Facebook page that the Welaka Boat Ramp would be closed “to allow for Law Enforcement marine and dive operations to facilitate the search for (sic) missing child.”

In addition to the PCSO bloodhound, dive team, marine unit, and deputies, there are deputies from St. Johns County who are assisting with a bloodhound and helicopter. Clay County has provided Putnam deputies with their dive team.

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Mason is 4 years old and non-verbal. If seen please call 911 immediately.

He was last seen wearing gray footie pajamas and he is nonverbal, deputies say.

Anyone with any information on Mason’s whereabouts is asked to call 911 immediately.

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