13-year-old autistic boy found dead in canal on Salt River Pima-Maricopa Reservation
Arizona mother mourns son found dead in canal
A search involving multiple agencies ended in tragedy after a non-verbal 13-year-old boy wandered into an irrigation canal. His mother is sharing his story to urge parent vigilance. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean reports.
MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. - An Arizona mother is remembering her beloved 13-year-old son after he wandered off and was later found dead in an irrigation ditch.
Who Josiah Was:
"Josiah was a very special boy," Brittany Flynn said.
Flynn says her 13-year-old son Josiah was a happy, giggly kid, one who brought joy to those around him.
"We just recently went to the circus, and he wanted to get on stage and be in the show, he just loved it," Flynn said.
Flynn says Josiah also loved going with his siblings to visit his dad on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Reservation. That is where he was on July 12, when Flynn got the call that he had walked off while playing near an irrigation ditch. Josiah was autistic, non-verbal, and suffered from epileptic seizures, and Flynn said he did not have a sense of potential danger.
"In that moment, I was just screaming, because in my heart I knew," Flynn said.
Timeline:
The Salt River Police Department says officers arrived at the area where Josiah was last seen just after 8:30 that evening and started a coordinated search with the help of Mesa Police and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. Flynn says she got there shortly after and immediately started seeking out additional resources to help find her son.
"I jumped on live really quickly because I know people in Lehi, I wanted people to go outside, it was pitch black," Flynn said. "You know, going through that, it was just a nightmare. No mother wants to say check for my son in the water."
Josiah's body was found around 10 p.m. in the irrigation canal.
"The water was maybe three or four inches and the current was not that strong, so I did not think that it would take him," Flynn said. "It took him about two blocks."
Why you should care:
In her grief, Flynn says she wants parents, especially those who have children with special needs, to be vigilant.
"I don't want to say my son became a statistic, but this is very common in the autism community," Flynn said. "Any accident, anything could happen. Just keep your kids close."
What you can do:
They have set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs.
What's next:
Josiah's family is planning to lay him to rest on July 23.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Brittany Flynn, the Salt River Police Department, Mesa Police, and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.