Massachusetts

Child dies after being pulled from water in Norton

The 6-year-old girl, who was autistic and nonverbal, was pulled from Wading River by Barrowsville Pond after being reported missing

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Police in Norton, Massachusetts, say a 6-year-old girl has died after being pulled from an icy river Friday.

Authorities began searching for the child, who was autistic and nonverbal, around 2:30 p.m. after she was reported missing. Dive teams located her in the Wading River by Barrowsville Pond about an hour later, police said.

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EMS performed life-saving efforts at the scene and in the ambulance as the child was brought to Sturdy Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Hosted by the Middlesex District Attorney's office, Swim Angelfish and the Mass. State Police Dive Team, Adaptive Water Safety Day focused on basic water safety and skills. Follow NBC10 Boston: https://instagram.com/nbc10boston https://tiktok.com/@nbc10boston https://facebook.com/NBC10Boston https://twitter.com/NBC10Boston

Investigators said the family's home abuts the water. Given the proximity, Norton firefighters immediately put on cold water rescue suits and began searching Barrowsville Pond and Wading River after the girl was reported missing.

"Today is a sad day in Norton, certainly not the outcome we were looking for," Norton Police Chief Brian Clark said at a press conference Friday.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim," Norton Fire Chief Shawn Simmons said in a statement.

Power Street, where police had been searching near a bridge, was closed as officers remained on scene after the girl was located.

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