5-year-old found in Dutchess County creek dies
Divers were sent in and found the child submerged in several feet of water, unconscious and not breathing.
A 5-year-old boy found submerged in a creek near his home in the Town of Poughkeepsie Sunday has died.
Family and friends of the boy – identified by relatives as Adam – started a memorial Monday morning on the creek bank along Manchester Road, close to where search-and-rescue divers found him Sunday afternoon. The memorial grew throughout the day.
"I don't even know what to say. It's tragic, really tragic," Davian Douglas, the boy's cousin, said. "He was a regular kid. Woke up yesterday morning, had his whole life ahead of him. His whole life. It's really unfortunate. I really don't know what to say."
The boy was reported missing at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Police used K-9s, drones and a helicopter to search for him.
Town of Poughkeepsie Police said one of their officers found a shoe in Casper Creek at the entrance to the apartment complex where he lived, which led to a water search-and-rescue team from Arlington Fire Department to mobilize.
Police said the divers found the boy submerged, unconscious and not breathing. He was rushed to Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 5:41 p.m.
"Real tough for them at this moment," said family-friend Derico Hyman. "If I could say anything, it's keep your kids close and love your family because you never know."
The circumstances surrounding the boy’s death are still unclear. Some family members, though, pointed out how steep and slippery the slope leading into the creek was.
Town of Poughkeepsie Police did not comment beyond what was written in the department's press release Monday.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Town of Poughkeepsie Police at 845-485-3670.
