An autistic boy from Idaho was found dead in a canal on Tuesday after running away from his fifth birthday party, police said Wednesday.
The body of toddler Matthew Glynn was recovered midday from the Farmers Union Canal, a 25-mile-long tributary about a half-mile from his Boise home, where loved ones were celebrating a birthday.
“Unfortunately, this is not the outcome we all hoped for. Our hearts go out to Matthew’s family and our sincere condolences during this extremely difficult time,” Boise Fire Chief Mark Niemeyer said. He said in a statement.
Police said the water was a major concern for investigators and a “major focus” of the search and rescue effort.
Matthew was non-verbal and autistic, and was fascinated by water.
of The Ada County Coroner ruled The boy drowned and his death was ruled an accident.
The boy disappeared shortly before 6 p.m. Monday while “attending his fifth birthday party with family and friends,” Boise Police Chief Ron Weinager said at a press conference.
Matthew was wearing Batman pajamas and was barefoot at the time.
After the boy’s disappearance, Boise Police, Boise Fire and Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue launched a massive search effort that involved drones, police dogs and UTVs, which played the song “Wheels on the Bus” over a loudspeaker to draw attention to the missing boy.
“When it comes to non-verbal autistic subjects, they tend to show preferences and behaviors that are potentially a little more predictable,” Winegar said.
“So we adopted some of the strategies that were given to us.”
