NOCATEE, Fla. — A tragic incident in a Nocatee neighborhood on Friday night has claimed the life of a 3-year-old boy, who was pulled from a nearby retention pond. Authorities said the investigation is still ongoing, but there is currently no indication of foul play.
St. Johns County Fire Rescue said they responded to a call around 7:15 p.m. on the 100 block of Crystal Sands Court. When first responders arrived at the scene, they located the child in the water. Despite immediate rescue efforts, the boy was rushed to the hospital and later pronounced dead.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
New details about the child were shared by a family friend, who spoke with Action News Jax Nicholas Brooks. The person confirmed that the child was a boy who was turning 4 at the end of the month. He was autistic and nonverbal, described as the happiest and sweetest baby by his family.
“He would run up to you to touch your face,” the friend recalled. “The family never got to hear him say ‘momma’ or ‘daddy.’”
According to this person, the family had taken extensive precautions to keep him safe. Their home was equipped with door chimes, door locks, alarms, and Ring cameras. The close friend also shared that the family had purposely avoided getting a pool because of safety concerns.
The family has asked for privacy as they grieve this immense loss. A funeral service is scheduled for Saturday.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
The heartbreaking incident adds to a growing concern across Florida, where child drownings continue to rise. Stacey Hoaglund, President of the Autism Society of Florida, spoke about the broader context of this tragedy.
“Last year we broke a record with 105 children, and we’re already at 84 this year, so it’s not looking good,” said Hoaglund.
In Northeast Florida alone, nine child drownings have been reported so far this year, seven more than at this time last year.
“Child drowning would go down if everyone had the layers of protection in place,” Hoaglund said.
She outlined those protective measures, which include constant supervision, secure locks or alarms on doors, proper fencing around pools and yards, swimming lessons, and CPR training for caregivers.
“The biggest factor seems to be that people don’t think it can happen to them because they are a good parent,” she added.
According to Hoaglund, more than 60% of the children who have drowned this year were under the age of three.
At this time, officials have not released further details about how the boy ended up in the pond.
A GoFundMe has been started to support the family.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
