7-Year-Old Girl with Autism Found Dead in Potomac River After Going Missing, Officials Say: 'Tragic'

Mar. 15, 2025

The Potomac River.Photo:Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty

Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty

The search for a missing girl with autism ended in tragedy this week when her body was found in the Potomac River in Maryland, authorities said.

On Monday, Sept. 2, the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call at 1:41 p.m. local time of a missing 7-year-old who had disappeared from her home for roughly 10 minutes, accordingto a news releasefrom the sheriff.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.The girl was moved to a riverbank to receive medical attention, officials said.

As first responders performed CPR on the young girl, officials said in the news release that “several responders [had] to be transported to the hospital for excessive amounts of bee stings and other injuries” due to the steep terrain conditions in the area.

Though troopers had “directed ground deputies to the location” to undertake “life-saving measures,” Sheriff Robertson said in his statement, “Unfortunately, those measures were unable to save her life.”

The girl was pronounced dead at the scene, police officials said.

“The investigation into this tragic death is still ongoing,” he said. “My thoughts and prayers go out to the child’s family as well as the first responders who endured this event. It has saddened our community.”

source: people.com