Body of missing autistic five-year-old boy found in icy pond after he disappeared outside his Michigan home on Christmas Day
- The body of a five-year-old autistic boy was found in an icy pond in Six Lakes, Michigan, on Thursday
- Beau Brennan Belson was initially reported missing on Christmas day around 2.30pm
- He was playing outside his home with other family members at the time
- Hundreds of volunteers offered to help authorities search for Belson on Thursday
The body of a five-year-old autistic boy was found in an icy pond after he went missing outside his home on Christmas day.
Michigan State Police announced that they located Beau Brennan Belson under the ice in a pond near his grandmother’s house near where he went missing.
Belson was last seen in the front yard of his Six Lakes home with family members around 2.30pm on Wednesday.
They didn’t realize the young boy disappeared until they decided to go back inside the residence.
The body of Beau Brennan Belson (pictured) was discovered by Michigan authorities on Thursday morning after he went missing on Christmas day
Belson’s family attempted to locate him around North Holland and Fleck roads area to no avail, prompting them to call Michigan State Police shortly afterwards.
Michigan state troopers, as well as the aviation units and K-9s, arrived at the scene to continue the search for Belson while an additional sonar unit was used to scan nearby bodies of water.
Authorities revealed in a press release that Belson is autistic, but is able to communicate.
Belson’s family and authorities searched the North Holland and Fleck roads (pictured) area after the Michigan State Police were called to the scene
WoodTV reports that hundreds of people arrived at the Belvidere Fire Station to volunteer in the search for Belson.
MSP Lt. David Cope said: ‘Yesterday evening, the support from the community was overwhelming as far as volunteers showing up. I was told there was near 1,000 volunteers here last night to assist with the search.’
Cope was initially encouraged while authorities searched for Belson due to the unusually warm weather.
Cope: ‘Yesterday evening, the support from the community was overwhelming as far as volunteers showing up. I was told there was near 1,000 volunteers here last night to assist with the search’
Belson (pictured) was found under the ice in a pond near his grandmother’s house near where he went missing
‘Fortunately, it’s been unseasonably warm for late December, so that is definitely in our favor as far as hopefully finding (Beau) in a timely manner,’ he said.
‘Of course, temperatures did dip down close to freezing last night… Any person, regardless of age, you don’t want them being alone in the wilderness for several hours at a time, especially in the 30-degree weather range,’ he continued.
‘It’s warming up nicely today. Still, chances are he’s wet and cold and we want to find him as soon as possible.’
Details surrounding the incident are still under investigation and have not been released to the public.