Blake Murrell

In what has seemingly become a regular occurrence, another child has tragically died in a wandering and drowning-related incident, this time near Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

Four-year-old Blake Murrell, who had autism and was non-verbal, was found deceased in a duck pond yesterday afternoon just a short distance from his home. Murrell was reported missing at around 11:30 a.m. by his mother and was found and recovered about 4 hours later.

As we recently reported, autism wandering deaths have become so prevalent in recent years, some of the largest autism organizations in the country have teamed up to form AWAARE, a group that focuses on preventing wandering incidents and wandering-related deaths through education, resources and awareness.

Children with autism are prone to wandering and are often attracted to water due to its texture. A child with autism can disappear out of sight in a matter of seconds, so it’s very important that parents, caregivers and educators be extremely vigilant on this issue.

To obtain a very helpful wandering brochure from AWAARE, visit: http://www.awaare.org/docs/wanderingbrochure.pdf  (Adobe Reader Required).

This story is a parent’s worst nightmare and our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time.