Adorable 5-year-old boy meets terrible end after security camera catches him walking away from his Maryland home

The little boy who was caught on security footage running away from his Maryland home after being reported missing has met a nightmarish outcome.

Miles McMahon, 5, autistic and nonverbal, disappeared from his home in Waldorf, Maryland, on Sunday morning when his family reported him missing.

But a desperate search by law enforcement led to the discovery of the boy’s body floating in a pond a short distance from the safety of his own home.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

5-year-old Miles McMahon was reported missing Sunday, leading to an extensive search during which his body was later discovered floating in a pond a short distance from his home in Maryland.

After dive teams conducted a second search in a nearby pond, they discovered the young boy’s body floating where they pronounced him dead on the scene.

Family members called 911 after being unable to find Miles while searching the area around their home in the Bannister neighborhood.

Home security footage showed the child wearing a red T-shirt, leaving the house and hopping around his yard without pants or shoes, according to a news release from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office issued Sunday.

Officers arrived at the home located in the 1000 block of St. Paul’s Drive around 11 a.m., where they “established a perimeter and immediately focused their attention on nearby ponds and bodies of water.”

The search was extensive: search teams, drones, police, dive teams and dogs were deployed to the area where he was last seen, The Independent reported.

Police K9s and bloodhounds also responded to the scene, as well as the Sheriff’s Office Search Management Team, which uses specialized apps for tracking purposes.

In the press release, residents were asked to avoid the search area, which was being conducted primarily in the area of ​​St. Paul’s Drive and Piney Church Road. Residents have been asked to stay on sidewalks when possible and stay away from other yards.

Miles, who was autistic and nonverbal, was reported missing to authorities Sunday morning after family members failed to locate him during their own initial search.

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office conducted an extensive search, primarily in nearby ponds and bodies of water, which included dive teams and K9 units.

The sheriff’s office also urged neighbors to search their own yards, pools, sheds, shrubs, trees and other small hiding places the child may have gotten into.

People with home security cameras were asked to contact the department if the recorded footage contained anything valuable that could help in this desperate search.

During the search, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office notified affected residents on their Facebook, saying, “Miles might be hiding or afraid of the commotion.” For those living in the area, please turn on your porch and yard lights.

“For those searching outside the perimeter, please use caution and call 911 with information. We have an incredible community and it’s clear that everyone cares a lot.

Although they unsuccessfully searched a pond near his home, the Maryland State Police dive team and Department of Natural Resources police returned that evening to check the pond again .

During the secondary search, Miles was found just after midnight.

“After hours of searching for 5-year-old Miles McMahon, unfortunately he was found a short time ago in a pond not far from his home and died,” the sheriff’s office said Monday. on Facebook.

They shared an additional update Monday evening, which read: “By now, many of you are aware of the tragic loss of Miles McMahon. The outpouring of care, concern, prayers and love for Miles’ family, as well as all of the many, many first responders who worked tirelessly to find Miles meant a lot.

“The community’s expression and the many ways people have come together to offer help shows the compassion of Charles County. These incidents are very hard on first responders, but the grace and care you have shown our teams has been a true source of strength.

“Now, all of our hearts are with the McMahon family as they endure this unimaginable loss and overwhelming grief.”

Miles was last seen on home security footage wearing only a red t-shirt as he jumped into the front yard and walked away from his home.

Miles is the second autistic child to die from drowning since this summer – and it’s the leading cause of death for children living away with disabilities.

Ashley Ulrich, a mother whose daughter goes to elementary school with Miles, told NBC: “I tossed and turned last night, just praying for a better outcome. But when I heard the news around one in the morning, the least I could do was come and pay my respects.

Neighbors left flowers, balloons and teddy bears near the pond where he was found, as a show of support for the family.

Miles is the second child to drown in the area since the summer.

In late July, another child, also autistic and nonverbal, was reported missing after attending a community picnic at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

The body of 6-year-old Fawzan Hassan was discovered in the pond by a group of volunteers, who then alerted police, WTOP News reported.

The pond that was less than 50 yards from the playground where he was last seen.

In a six-year study, it was found that around half (49%) of autistic children attempted to move away from a safe environment, which is four times higher than their unaffected siblings, according to the National Autism Association.

Drowning is the leading cause of death among children who manage to escape.

In a six-year study, it was found that accidental drownings accounted for 71 percent of deaths among autistic children.

Children with autism are 160 times more likely to die from drowning than the general pediatric population.