A 5-year-old boy reported missing from his Riverview home was found in a community retention pond Saturday morning and later pronounced dead at a hospital, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The child’s parents called 911 at 9 a.m. on October 17, 2026, to report that their son, who has autism, was missing from their home in the 7200 block of Grand Elm Drive.
Deputies arrived at 9:11 a.m. and immediately began searching the neighborhood with assistance from the agency’s K-9 Unit. At 9:20 a.m., a deputy located the boy in a retention pond within the community.
Deputies pulled the child from the water and began CPR until Hillsborough County Fire Rescue arrived. He was transported to AdventHealth, where he was pronounced dead.
Sheriff Chad Chronister expressed condolences to the family and commended deputies for their quick response and efforts to save the child.
The circumstances remain under investigation. The Sheriff’s Office has not released the child’s name or an official cause of death.
