So often after a missing persons alert is issued, another soon follows that the individual has been located safe. This day was not one of those as a 7-year-old boy with autism was found dead a few hours after the initial Jacksonville Sheriff's Office alert.
In a 2 p.m. Aug. 5 update, the Sheriff's Office said it is heartbroken to announce Chace Brown died. No details about the cause or circumstances have been announced. The Times-Union has requested the incident report.
The original post said the 4-foot-3, 73-pound boy was last seen just before 7 a.m. leaving his home off Broward Road near Interstate 95. Chace’s family said he is autistic and non-verbal, so there was even more urgency invovled. He was last seen wearing a white tank top, black
Super Mario shorts and blue Crocs.
The Sheriff's Office has previously cited statistics that show 50% of children with autism tend to wander and nearly all gravitate toward water, and they're 160 times more likely to drown than their peers.
Safety tips for parents with children who have autism
- Start water safety training at a young age.
- Emphasize the dangers of water.
- Use door alarms and gates to prevent accidental access to water.
- Install door and window alarms or a video doorbell.
- Have current photos available for first responders in case your child is prone to wander.
- Sign up for the R.E.V.A.M.P. registry at JaxReady.com/REVAMP to share important details about your loved one with local first responders to help with searches.
R.E.V.A.M.P. is a voluntary identification program that aids in the safe return of individuals that may be endangered, vulnerable or missing with cognitive and memory impairment or sensory disabilities. This program was created in partnership with the city of Jacksonville, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, and the registry is free to those who apply. People can sign up at jaxsheriff.org/Resources/REVAMP.aspx
A Sheriff's Office spokeswoman also said the agency has several resources for endangered, vulnerable and missing persons: trackers, scent jars and first responder awareness stickers.
In 2021 the Sheriff's Office and fire departmentalso launched new Missing Endangered Person Search and Rescue procedures. When activated the fire department's dispatchers send alerts to all firefighter emails as well as computer terminals in fire engines for immediate response.
Scott Butler has been an editor/reporter specializing in public safety coverage for 26 years with The Florida Times-Union. He can be reached at sbutler@jacksonville.com.
(This is a developing story.)
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Sad ending to missing boy with autism, JSO announces
