Body Of Autistic Boy From Michigan That Disappeared On Christmas Found

The body of a young Michigan boy was foundThursday after he wandered off from his grandmother's yard and wound up in a nearby pond, police said.

The body of Beau Brennan Belson, 5, was found around noon by police after a frantic search by family, volunteers and police near Six Lakes. He reportedly was found in a nearby pond and was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

“We’re not sure at this point if he just wandered into the water, fell in. We’re not sure at this point,” Michigan State Police Lt. David Cope told reporters. “It was very unfortunate and a sad outcome.”

Cope said there would be an investigation into Beau’s death and an autopsy was scheduled to determine a cause of death. Cope also said there was no evidence of foul play.

Beau, who was autistic, was last seen around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at his grandmother’s home playing in the backyard with family. The family realized he had disappeared after going inside and contacted police.

Police brought in a helicopter and drones for the search while a sonar unit worked from the water. Nearly 1,000 volunteers turned out for the search Wednesday and hundreds returned Thursday to resume the effort.

“Thank you for the support and thank you for the help to help to try to find this young boy,” Cope said. “I just wish I had better news.”