‘Tragic year for drowning:’ Community mourning autistic 3-year-old found dead in Dunns Creek

A family is grieving after another young autistic child drowned on Tuesday afternoon.

This time, it happened in Putnam County, and advocates are trying to make sure parents know the dangers.

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This is the second drowning involving a child with special needs in less than a month and the second we’ve reported on in Putnam County this year.

“I don’t think there is anything more tragic than losing a child,” Autism Society of Florida President Stacey Hoaglund said.

Read: ‘It’s devastating to all of us:’ St. Johns County family mourns the loss of their 7-year-old girl

Gabriel was only three years old and reportedly had autism. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said he lived on Clearwater Road in Satsuma near a canal.

A PCSO spokesperson said the family looked for Gabriel for about 20 minutes before reporting him missing around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Read: Exclusive: Mother of toddler who drowned at an Orlando resort wants fencing around ponds

About two hours later, PCSO said a dive team found him dead in the water near a dock by his home.

“I know a lot of parents think, ‘It’s never going to happen to me, I watch my kids,’” Hoaglund said. “Drowning is quick and silent – it’s not what it looks like in the movies with splashing and screaming, it’s not.”

Hoaglund said the water is more dangerous for kids with autism because they are drawn to it.

Read: Welaka community grieving with family of 4-year-old boy found dead in St. Johns River

“2024 has been probably the most tragic year for drowning of children possibly ever recorded,” Hoaglund said.

The Department of Children and Families reports 79 drownings have happened in the state this year. But Hoaglund said today’s drowning and another from South Florida last week haven’t been added yet.

“Now, we’re at 81, so that then that will put us 13 ahead of last year,” Hoaglund said.

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Action News Jax has reported on several drownings involving kids with special needs so far this year.

We told you last month when a 7-year-old girl was found dead near her home in St. Johns County, and when a 4-year-old Jacksonville boy drowned in an Orlando resort.

In March, a 4-year-old boy from Putnam County had also drowned in a river near his home.

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“Nobody should feel like their kids are immune to drowning because it can happen to anyone, so everybody should make sure they have those layers of protection in place,” Hoaglund said.

Hoaglund said to make sure you have alarms on your doors, have extra supervision, know CPR, and make sure there’s fencing around any body of water.

The sheriff’s office said this is an ongoing investigation and no further information is available at this time.

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