Autistic boy drowns in pond.

June 19, 2007

SARATOGA, Milwaukee, USA: The body of a missing seven-year-old boy with autism was discovered late on the morning of June 19 in a pond adjacent to Ten Mile Creek, less than a quarter-mile from his Saratoga home, where he disappeared last week, according to the Wood County Sheriff's Department.
A dog team and another searcher found the body of Benjy Heil in the water at about 11 am on June 19 after an intense search by about 300 volunteers. He was near the shore in an area of water about 25 feet deep, according to the authorities.
Over the weekend, more than 600 volunteers had searched for the boy, who disappeared from his family's Saratoga home on the evening of June 14. He had been playing in the basement before his family realised he was gone.
"Everybody's distraught. Everybody's sad. We obviously would have wished for a much better resolution," Wood County sheriff's Lt. David Laude said. "Unfortunately, we weren't able to come through for the family. The effort was incredible, however."Laude said the area where Benjy was found was searched several times in recent days. "At this point, we do not know exactly how long the boy had been right there," he said. "We're not sure whether or not he had been under water for any duration."
(Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, June 19, 2007)