Drownings involving kids can happen so quickly. Even when families aren't actively swimming, a small child can slip away and accidentally fall into a pool. Especially when a residential pool is not adequately fenced-off.
Tragically, a little girl died after drowning on July 11, 2024. The Massachusetts child had autism and went missing from her home. But when police located her in a neighbor's pool, it was too late.
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On 4:33 p.m. on July 11, the Sutton Police Department posted an alert on its Facebook page.
"We are currently searching for this 4 yr old autistic girl named Eva in the Peachtree Drive area," the department wrote, alongside a photo of the child. "There’s a heavy police and fire presence as we search for this young girl. If you see her, please call 9-1-1 to alert us."
Not long afterward, police called off the search. At 6:52 p.m., the department shared an update on the situation. "We no longer are asking for assistance regarding the missing girl we posted," it wrote. "Thank you to all who shared, looked and offered info."
On July 12, the Sutton Police Department returned to Facebook to share that Eva had died, citing an official statement from the Worcester County District Attorney Joe Early’s Office.
"At 3:50 p.m. Thursday, the Sutton Police Department received a 911 call reporting a 4-year-old girl had gone missing from her home," the statement read. "A short time later, the girl was found in a neighbor’s pool, unresponsive. Emergency personnel transported her to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester where she was pronounced deceased."
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"The past 12 hours have been incredibly difficult for one of our families in town and our team of first responders," the Sutton Police Department wrote via Facebook on July 12. "There are no words that we can offer to help ease the heartache our residents are feeling now. We are so incredibly sorry."
On July 12, the preschool where Eva attended, Small Wonders Childcare and Preschool, released a statement about her death.
"As an educator your students are your children, you pour everything into them and love them like they were your own. There are no words to express the depth of sorrow our Small Wonders Family is feeling," a statement published by NBC10 Boston read. "Her smile and laugh will remain in our hearts forever. We will always be grateful for the time we spent with our Eva girl."
