Heartache and Hope: Ormond Beach community gathers to honor 4-year-old Waylon Childs

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — Dozens of community members surrounded the family of Waylon Childs as they held a vigil for the 4-year-old in Central Park on Monday evening.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

“Horrible situation, but beautiful to see the community rally around my nephew like that,” said Katie Olinger, Waylon’s Aunt.

The vigil started at 6:30 p.m., where people placed balloons, stuffed animals, and candles on a dock close to where Waylon’s body was discovered Sunday.

Read: ‘It’s still a shock’: Family wants change after 4-year-old boy was found in body of water

Ormond Beach Police said Waylon was reported missing around noon on Sunday. Officials said he was at the park with his father and two siblings when he went missing.

Volusia County dive team recovered the 4-year-old around 9 p.m.

During a press conference on Sunday, Ormond Beach Public Information Officer Pauline Dulang said police do not suspect foul play.

Read: Gilzean overstepped authority when moving money around, attorneys say

“Right now, there is no evidence pointing to any abduction. What I know right is that simply the father went to the park with his three kids, all under the age of five, unfortunately 4-year-old Waylon Childs went missing,” said Dulang.

Central Park is a 149-acre park with five lakes and ponds surrounding it, connected by canals.

“It takes one second, and this is an instance of that. It takes one second for him to vanish and end up in a horrible situation like this,” said Orlinger.

Read: Orlando International Airport offers more parking options this Thanksgiving

Olinger said in a public park or field, there should be barriers in place to prevent drownings. The family is looking to start an initiative that would require public parks and or fields to have barriers around bodies of water.

“We really hope, we want to start with this park, get this in Waylon’s name, get this initiative going to do it all over the state of Florida,” Olinger.

Olinger said she hopes the community continues to rally behind the family in the fight for change by attending council meetings and calling and emailing state officials to prevent drowning deaths in the future.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2024 Cox Media Group