Safety tips for parents after 3 children with autism drown in the Houston area this summer
HOUSTON — Three Houston-area children with autism have wandered away from their homes and drowned this summer.
The most recent case happened on Sunday, Sept. 22, in the Cypress area. A 5-year-old boy was found in a retention pond after he was reported missing near a neighborhood near Fry Road and West Road, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzelez said.
On September 18, a 7-year-old boy drowned in a northeast Harris County swimming pool. The Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office said the victim was pulled from a pool in the Humble area. The victim's mother told investigators he was being watched by an older brother while she ran an errand. The mother returned home and discovered her younger son was missing.
And in Fulshear, 12-year-old Aisha Adebayo was pulled from a neighborhood lake on June 18 following a desperate search by dozens of community members.
According to the National Autism Association , children with autism are 160 times more likely to die from drowning because they're often attracted to water but don't know how to swim.
Experts suggest you warn your children about the dangers of getting in open waters unsupervised. You should also make sure you have a good home alarm system so you can be alerted if they try to wander off.
Special interior combination locks that are sold online can provide another level of safety. They have a 10-digit code to keep kids inside.
"I have three kids with autism, one of them wanders away from the house or tries to 'elope' all the time so he can get to a local lake nearby," Former KHOU 11 employee Sheletta Brunbridge told us. "Those locks are the only thing that have kept my autistic child alive."
Brunbridge is teaming up with the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office and Amazon to give away 100 locks this weekend in Richmond. Parents or caregivers of children with autism can get their free lock at the #SpreadLoveWithLocks event from 10 a.m. to noon at the Gus George Academy.
"So, to spread the word about these life-saving locks and to make them available for parents who can't afford one, I host door lock giveaway events in cities across the country," she said.
