Another Child with Autism Wanders and Drowns

In what has seemingly become a regular occurrence, another child has tragically
died in a wandering and drowning-related incident, this time near Tulsa,
Oklahoma. 

Four-year-old Blake Murrell, who had autism and was non-verbal, was found
deceased in a duck pond yesterday afternoon just a short distance from his home.
Murrell was reported missing at around 11:30 a.m. by his mother and was found
and recovered about 4 hours later.

As we
recently reported, autism wandering deaths have become so prevalent in
recent years, some of the largest autism organizations in the country have
teamed up to form AWAARE, a group that focuses on preventing wandering incidents
and wandering-related deaths through education, resources and awareness.

Children with autism are prone to wandering and are often attracted to water due
to its texture. A child with autism can disappear out of sight in a matter of
seconds, so it’s very important that parents, caregivers and educators be extremely vigilant on this issue.

To obtain a very helpful wandering brochure from AWAARE, visit: https://www.awaare.org/docs/wanderingbrochure.pdf 
(Adobe Reader Required).

This story is a parent’s worst nightmare and our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time.