An autistic Idaho boy was found dead in a canal Tuesday after wandering away from his own 5th birthday party, police announced Wednesday.
The body of little Matthew Glynn was recovered at noon from the Farmer’s Union Canal, a 25-mile-long tributary roughly half a mile from his Boise home, where his loved ones had been celebrating his birthday.
“Sadly, this is not the outcome we were all hoping for. Our hearts go out to Matthew’s family, and we extend our deepest condolences during this incredibly difficult time,” Boise Fire Chief Mark Niemeyer said in a statement.
The body of water was investigators’ biggest concern and “a large focus” of the search and rescue, police said.
Matthew, who was nonverbal and autistic, had a fascination with water.
The Ada County Coroner ruled that the boy died by drowning and that his death was accidental.
The youngster had vanished shortly before 6 p.m. Monday while “attending his fifth birthday party with his family and friends,” Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar said at a press conference.
Matthew was wearing his Batman pajamas at the time and was barefoot.
Following his disappearance, Boise Police, Boise Fire and Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue launched a massive search effort that involved drones, K9s and UTVs — which played the song “Wheels on the Bus” over a loudspeaker to attract the lost boy.
“When you have an autistic subject that’s nonverbal, they tend to exhibit preferences and behaviors that are potentially a little bit more predictable,” Winegar said.
“So, we employed some of those strategies that we had been given.”
