In another tragic event in West Chester, a 7-year-old girl with autism was found deceased in a retention pond at the Lakota Lakes Apartments complex, as reported by FOX19. West Chester Township Police were notified early Friday morning when the girl's mother called to report her daughter missing, claiming that her daughter was autistic. Shortly after, the girl’s brother discovered her body in the pond. Despite immediate response and life-saving efforts by the police officers, the child was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the details provided by WLWT, West Chester Police Captain Paul Brent Lovell informed that officers arrived at the complex around 11:30 a.m and found, that the family had taken appropriate safety measures to monitor the girl, although specifics on these were not disclosed. Captain Lovell expressed that "this is an incredible tragedy for our community so soon after we lost a child in similar circumstances," referencing the drowning of another young boy with autism seven months earlier.
This recent incident echoes the previous tragedy where a 6-year-old boy, also with autism, drowned in a nearby pond. WLWT highlighted a statement by West Chester Township Administrator Lisa Brown, who conveyed the community's sorrow over yet another loss of a young life to similar circumstances. Autistic children, as noted by experts, can disappear quickly given their tendency to wander, which underscores the importance of continuous monitoring and preventive safety protocol, especially near bodies of water.
