Body of missing 5-year-old boy found in pond
A missing nonverbal 5-year-old boy was found dead in a retention pond hours after disappearing from his Gwinnett County apartment.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. – What is believed to be the body of a 5-year-old boy who disappeared Thursday afternoon was found Friday in a retention pond near his home, according to the Gwinnett County Police Department.
An official identification has not yet been made, but officials are confident that the body is that of 5-year-old Indi Bullock.
Missing Gwinnett County boy
The backstory:
The 5-year-old boy, who authorities stated was nonverbal, was last seen around 4:25 p.m. on Thursday at an apartment along Sweetwater Road in the Reflections on Sweetwater Apartments.
Officers said Bullock’s mother noticed he was missing and immediately contacted authorities. It was determined the child had gone over the guardrail to the patio of their residence.
“My understanding is this has not happened before,” Sgt. James Lawson, with the Gwinnett County Police Department, said.
RAW: Body of missing boy found press conference
Officials announced around 12:20 p.m. Friday that they believe the body of missing nonverbal 5-year-old Indi Bullock was found in a retention pond near his apartment home.
What we know:
The boy’s body was located by Hall County Sheriff’s Department dive team and Gwinnett County Fire Department swift water rescue team. Gwinnett PD’s Crime Scene Unit responded to the scene to collect any possible evidence and to fully process the scene.
Officials said during a press conference that they also believe it was just a tragic, unfortunate accident and no foul play is suspected. The family has been cooperative, and they will continue to investigate until an official cause of death is determined by the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Indi Bullock (Gwinnett County Police Department)
The search for Indi Bullock
The backstory:
The search for 5-year-old Indi Bullock intensified Friday morning, as multiple local and state agencies continued to deploy extensive resources in an effort to locate him.
According to the Gwinnett County Police Department, search operations have been ongoing since the child was reported missing on Thursday afternoon, with assistance from Gwinnett Emergency Management and a range of specialized units.
K-9 teams from Gwinnett Police and the Gwinnett Search Team have been actively combing the area where Indi was last seen, working through the evening, overnight, and early morning hours.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources contributed to the search by operating a remote-controlled submarine equipped with cameras to examine a nearby retention pond for several hours. Gwinnett Fire also deployed its Swift Water Rescue Team to aid in the search of the same pond.
Aviation support included helicopters and drones outfitted with thermal imaging cameras. Additional man-power arrived from the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Department, while the Hall County Sheriff’s Department sent its dive team to assist in underwater search efforts.
How did Indi Bullock die?
What we don’t know:
Authorities have not found any indication of foul play.
“There is no reason to believe that there is any suspicion at this time,” Lawson said. “Nothing credible… suggests there’s anything other than when he jumped over the balcony… he wandered off.”
An official cause of death has not yet been by the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office.
What you can do:
A GoFundMe has been established to help the family with expenses.
According to the search organizer and mother, Indi was a “bright, beautiful soul who brought joy to everyone who knew him. His absence leaves a void that can never be filled.”
