Missing 5-year-old Oakland County boy found dead in neighbor's pool

LAKE ORION, Mich. (FOX 2) - A 5-year-old boy with special needs died Saturday after he was found in a neighbor’s above-ground pool.

Oakland County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to a residence in the 1100 block of Devon St. on Saturday before 4 p.m.

Police say the boy’s grandfather reported that the boy was last seen at the home at about 3:30 p.m. The rear door to the home was open, and the boy was missing.

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The boy was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt but no jacket. The temperature at the time was 37 degrees Fahrenheit, police said.

The grandfather told deputies the boy had attempted to leave the home in the past.

"The Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team, two K-9 units, Orion Township Fire Department personnel, and multiple deputies began a search for the boy, going house to house and searching nearby woods, a lake, and a swamp. Drones could not be used because of high winds in the area," the Sheriff's office said in a statement. 

Firefighters located the boy on the cover of an above-ground pool at a home on Crestmont, about a block away from where the boy lived. The cover had at least one foot of standing water on it, police said.

"There was a ladder on the rear of the pool the boy likely used to gain access to the water," the office said.

Paramedics performed CPR on the boy as he was transported to a nearby hospital, where he died a short time later. 

"I seen CPR-type motion. I knew the child was in there," said Dan Belton, a neighbor. "It’s a tragedy all around."

The cause and manner of death are pending.

"All indications are it’s a tragic accident. I'm sure the family is suffering greatly, but ultimately, the final report will be handed over to the prosecutor for any determination," said Sheriff Michael Bouchard.

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