VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The Volusia Sheriff’s Office is launching a campaign to prevent drownings in the autism community. This comes after the bodies of 4-year-old Waylon Childs and 7-year-old Charlie Newton were found in Volusia County Lakes just ten days apart.
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While one situation happened in Ormond Beach and the other in Deltona, the children’s stories were similar. Both were non-verbal, had autism and wandered from home.
“I have talked to more folks whose children have autism, especially those who are nonverbal, who say to me it’s just something there when it comes to water; that’s where those children are going to go,” said Sheriff Mike Chitwood.
To prevent these tragic drownings, Sheriff Chitwood is working with multiple agencies to provide resources and technology to local families.
The sheriff said he will start by handing out 100 tracking bracelets through “Project Lifesaver” and a joint effort with “The Community Partnership,” which is a DCF program.
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“The community partnership is going to buy 22, and these devices, once they are on, they are like our ankle monitors; they are not coming off, and law enforcement is able to track your child,” said Chitwood.
Part of the campaign also includes reminding families of existing resources, like the VSO Autism Awareness Program. This program allows families to register contact information with the sheriff’s office, and in turn, they’ll be offered water safety training through Halifax and EasterSeals.
“If we can place barriers in front to keep kids from falling into these situations, that’s one thing, but at the end of the day, these children need survival skills basically,” said President and CEO of EasterSeals Bev Johnson.
To get involved with the efforts, visit these links:
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Project Lifesaver: https://projectlifesaver.org/
VSCO Autism Awareness Program: https://www.volusiasheriff.gov/autism.stml
Project Lifeline: https://halifaxhealth.org/lifeline
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