INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — The body of a missing 2-year-old child with autism was found overnight Wednesday in a body of water at an Indian River County apartment complex, Sheriff Eric Flowers said.
"A tragedy has happened here in Indian River County," Flowers said at a news conference Wednesday morning.
According to the sheriff, Shamar Windhom was with his father and sibling at the Walker Woods Apartments on Tuesday afternoon. The children were sick, and their father was taking care of them at home.
"Unfortunately, in an effort to air out the house from the sickness, the father opened a couple of the windows in the apartment on the second story and left them open," Flowers said. "The autistic child, 2-year-old in a diaper, pushed against one of those screens. The screen popped out."
WATCH: Sheriff gives update on search for missing toddler
Flowers said Windhom, who was mostly non-verbal, fell about 20 feet out of the second-story window and landed in some bushes and shrubbery, which broke his fall.
The toddler then entered the water and vanished. His body was found at approximately midnight Wednesday, Flowers said.
"The parents said that the child was drawn to water, and that, given the opportunity, would bolt towards the body of water," Flowers said.
Flowers said the report came in at approximately 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, and believes there was a 20 to 30 minute window from the time the child was last seen to when deputies arrived on the scene.
Windhom's father reported to deputies he was feeding another child when he noticed his son was missing, and then noticed the second-story window pushed out.
WPTV News journalist Zitlali Solache spoke with neighbors near the scene, who assisted in the search efforts.
"It makes me sick. It hurts my stomach," resident Deanna Tillis said. "The fact that any age is missing and he’s two and he’s just in a diaper. He’s autistic, so he might not even be verbal. So he might not be able to yell for help or anything. I keep getting goosebumps just thinking about it.”
Flowers added that dive teams, drones, and search dogs were all involved in the search.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office all assisted with the effort.
