A 6-year-old boy in Detroit wandered away from a family reunion at Belle Isle Park and went missing after falling into a river. After being found in the water, the boy was rushed to a local hospital, where he tragically died.
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According to a Michigan State Police release, the incident occurred at around 7:20 p.m. on Saturday, July 26. While at a family reunion at Belle Isle Shelter #2, located near a river that feeds into Lake Tacoma, several children were playing in a bouncing castle.
However, the 6-year-old, unnamed, who was autistic, left the bouncing castle and wandered away from the children and the reunion altogether. Eventually, family members noticed the boy had disappeared and started looking for him. Authorities were called once his family members failed to locate him.
Approximately 30 minutes after the call was placed, an adult and another child managed to locate the 6-year-old. He was in the river near Shelter #2.
Conservation officers are park rangers who arrived first at the scene and started CPR and rescue breathing. A trooper arrived and took over CPR and rescue breathing. Meanwhile, an officer applied an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), with the machine instructing first responders to continue CPR.
Eventually, Detroit Fire responders arrived at the scene and took over life-saving measures. The child was transported to the Children’s Hospital by EMS alongside a trooper escort. Tragically, the child was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The name of the child has not been publicly shared.
Drowning Deaths
Michigan State Police First Lieutenant Mike Shaw also shared a brief statement, addressing the child’s death.
“Our heart goes out to this little boy’s family and also the first responders and community members on scene who did everything they could to try and save this child’s life,” Shaw said.
Shaw also mentioned the “several” drownings that have taken place in Michigan in 2025. He said that they can occur rapidly, unlike what can be seen on TV.
Children with autism, in particular, are more prone to death by drowning. According to the National Autism Association, autistic children are “160 times as likely to die from drowning as the general pediatric population.”
“Keep a close eye on your kids and people who cant swim, wear life jackets when boating and if you are a poor swimmer, and be careful with alcohol consumption,” Shaw added.