TWO RIVERS, Wis. (WBAY/Gray News) – Police in Wisconsin say they have recovered the body of a missing 7-year-old boy with autism from the river. He was playing outside when a parent lost sight of him, WBAY reports.
Two Rivers Police officers were called out for a report of a missing child Saturday, according to a news release on the department’s Facebook page. The missing child, Jacob Baer, was described as a 7-year-old boy with autism who was playing outside at Veteran’s Park around 4:30 p.m. when a parent lost sight of him.
Search efforts located several items belonging to Jacob in the West Twin River, which were recovered from the water Saturday night, the release says.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources identified a possible location in the river for what was believed to be Jacob’s body. Recovery operations continued until late Sunday morning when a body was found in 5 to 6 feet of water.
The body recovered was positively identified as Jacob.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Jacob Baer,” wrote the police department in the release.
The Two Rivers Public Schools District released a statement saying Jacob was a second grade student at Koenig Elementary School. They will have counselors available to assist students during this difficult time.
“Actually thinking about you’re not going to see your child again, my heart goes out to the parents because that’s a parent’s worst nightmare,” Two Rivers resident Kurt Psenicka said.
Residents say the incident is especially traumatic after 3-year-old Elijah Vue went missing in February. Following months of searching, the boy’s remains were found in September on private property in Manitowoc County.
Elijah’s mother, Katrina Baur, and her boyfriend, Jesse Vang, were both charged in his death in October.
“It’s kind of like you don’t know what’s going to happen the next day,” Manitowoc resident Lisa Maertz said. “If we’re going to lose more people from our community or is it going to be foul play or accidents. It’s scary.”
In wake of Jacob’s death, police are reminding the public about the dangers of ice on local waterways, especially during this time of year. They ask parents to keep an eye on their children.
The incident remains under investigation.
Copyright 2024 WBAY via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.