PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A 5-year-old child with special needs drowned Monday night in Port St. Lucie, police say.
Officers said they responded to a residence in the 700 block of Southwest Crean Terrace at about 8 p.m. regarding a missing 5-year-old boy with autism.
WATCH BELOW: Police hold news conference after child drowns in Port St. Lucie
When police arrived, they learned the boy, Zam Tuang, was missing from the residence.
It was reported to police dispatch that family members searched for the child before calling 911.
Officers arrived and canvassed the area and looked at video surveillance cameras, discovering that it appeared Zam opened the garage door. The video showed the boy leaving the home at about 7:15 p.m.
Police said the video showed the boy, who does not know how to swim, moving eastbound on foot.
Officers deployed a drone, K-9 bloodhound and additional road patrol units to the area.
At about 9:45 p.m., police said Zam was located in a body of water at the intersection of Southwest Juliet and Southwest Hampshire Lane.
According to authorities, officers attempted to resuscitate the child until fire rescue arrived and took the boy to a local hospital. However, Zam was pronounced dead at about 11 p.m.
Police said at this time, the drowning appears to be accidental, and there is no evidence of foul play.
During a Tuesday afternoon news conference, Port St. Lucie Police Chief Leo Niemczyk said that since he became the head of the department in November 2024, this is the third child with autism who has drowned.
"Immediately dial 911. It's human nature to attempt to locate your child," Niemczyk said. "Get us rolling as soon as possible. Don't be afraid that we get there and you locate them. We're going to be happy about that. Go ahead and call."
Niemczyk said there were "many, many" steps taken to secure the child within the home, saying the little boy opened two garage doors to exit. However, there was about a 45-minute delay before the parents called 911.
The police chief said they are holding an autism event on April 18 at 9 a.m. at a community center across from the police station, encouraging families to attend to help avert future tragedies.
This drowning comes after a 2-year-old drowned in Greenacres on Wednesday.
