A Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community mother is grieving the loss of her 13-year-old son, who was non-verbal and had medical needs, after he was found dead in an irrigation canal following a multi-agency search. Relatives say the boy wandered into the water and could not call out for help, and his mother is now urging other parents to watch vulnerable children closely whenever they are near open waterways.
Authorities say the boy was reported missing Sunday evening and was found hours later in an irrigation canal near Gilbert Road and Thomas Road inside the community, according to ABC15. Crews from the Salt River Fire Department, the Mesa Police Department and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office joined the search. Police told ABC15 there were no obvious signs of foul play, and investigators are still working to understand how the boy ended up in the water.
Mother’s plea and local response
The boy’s mother described hours of desperate searching before he was found, sharing her story in an on-camera interview and pleading with other families to stay vigilant. She said she hopes her son’s death will be a wake-up call about the danger open canals pose to children who cannot easily communicate or call for help.
Reporter Nicole Krasean captured the family’s grief and the timeline of the search in a video report for FOX 10 Phoenix, which shows the tight-knit community rallying around the devastated family while investigators continued their work nearby.
Why water is especially dangerous for kids who wander
Experts describe wandering, sometimes called elopement, as a common behavior among children with developmental and communication disorders, and they warn that water is one of the biggest risks in those situations. The National Autism Association notes that drowning accounts for a large share of fatal incidents involving children who wander.
Research published in medical journals recommends family-specific safety plans, physical changes at home and tailored supervision strategies to help reduce that risk. A 2019 review of elopement patterns is available through PubMed Central.
Relatives say they plan to hold a small memorial for the boy as investigators with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community police continue their work, ABC15 reports. Officials are asking anyone with information to contact local law enforcement so they can piece together what happened and give the grieving family some answers.
