Autistic child found dead in Maryland pond after 26-hour search

Six-year-old Fawzan Hassan and his family arrived at a Montgomery County park Saturday afternoon for a community event. The 3-foot-tall youngster, who is nonverbal, autistic and loves to climb, headed to the playground.

“His family looked at the playground,” said an assistant police chief, “and didn’t see him there again.”

A day later, after a frantic search by police officers, firefighters, volunteers and family members, the worst result came at 5:25 p.m. on Sunday. The body of a child surfaced in a nearby pond. Police quickly confirmed the death and said it was Fawzan.

“Our hearts go out to the family,” Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Shiera Goff said Sunday night after police spent 26 hours searching the area. “We were all hoping for a different outcome.”

When asked what she would tell parents, Lt. Kristina Hedgepeth said, “It’s always difficult to look after children, and it’s especially difficult when children have special needs.”

“It’s hard to tell someone in this situation,” Hedgepeth said, “but I just know that as a parent, you have to keep your wits about you. You have to constantly pay attention. And it’s even harder when you have a child with special needs.”

More than 100 police officers, firefighters and volunteers had spent more than a day searching in and around Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg. Officials holding a news conference earlier Sunday struck a confident tone.

“We are determined to find Fawzan and bring him to safety,” Montgomery County Assistant Police Chief Nicholas Augustine said Sunday, appealing for the public’s help as the search expanded beyond the park.

“He could be crouched down and just scared,” said Montgomery County Police Officer Laurie Reyes, who specializes in working with families of autistic children and helping find them when they go missing.

Fawzan, who weighed 19 kilograms, was last seen wearing a green T-shirt, blue jeans and white and silver sneakers.

Bohrer Park is bordered by neighborhoods on the southwest and southeast sides, by Frederick Avenue on the northeast side, and by Gaithersburg High School on the northwest side.

The police had urged residents in the area to carefully search their properties, including under porches and patios and in unlocked cars and sheds.

Officers warned people not to go near the child, as he might run away. Instead, they were told to call 911.

People with autism who go missing are often drawn to bodies of water, Reyes said. The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service searched ponds in the area Saturday and Sunday, said Pete Piringer, a spokesman for the agency.

Officers from the Montgomery County Police Department, Gaithersburg Police Department, Maryland State Police and Maryland-National Capital Park Police had aided in the search, officials said. Drones with infrared sensor technology flew over the area late into the night.

The police had encouraged residents to print a flyer from the department’s social media pages and post it around Gaithersburg. Motorists in the area were asked to call police if they saw a young child sitting alone at a bus stop.

The Montgomery Police Department offers the following advice when approaching non-verbal autistic children:

It is important to approach them calmly and slowly; avoid sudden movements or loud noises that might startle them. Speak in a soft, reassuring tone, even if the child does not respond verbally. Nonverbal autistic children may not respond to their name, so try to use other cues, such as visual cues or familiar objects, to get their attention.

The most important thing, the police said, is to ensure the child’s safety and wait for the police to arrive.

Advice on how to prevent vulnerable people from wandering can be obtained from the Montgomery Police Department’s Autism/Intellectual Disabilities (IDD), Alzheimer’s and Dementia Unit.