Body of missing 6-year-old recovered in Clayton County pond
Family grieving after Clayton 6-year-old found dead in pond
Clayton County police recovered the body of a missing 6-year-old boy from a local pond Monday morning following an intensive search near his home. Raymond Jett, who was nonverbal and had autism, vanished Sunday afternoon from the Sutter Lake Apartments.
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - A massive search ended in tragedy Monday after rescue crews recovered the body of a missing 6-year-old non-verbal boy from a Clayton County pond.
What we know:
Six-year-old Ramon Jett, who goes by the nickname "RJ," went missing Sunday between 11:30 a.m. and noon. He was staying at the Sutter Lake Apartments at 8104 Webb Road in Riverdale.
PREVIOUS STORY: Search for missing non-verbal 6-year-old in Clayton County continues
Search teams and family members immediately started a massive search using specialized teams and tactical gear to comb the area. Crews later found the child's body in a nearby pond, next to the apartment complex, according to Clayton County police.
Recovery effort details
Dig deeper:
Clayton County police said in a Monday afternoon briefing that teams spotted a body in Sand Pond and later confirmed the body was Ramon's around 9:20 a.m.
Ramon's body was recovered roughly 125 yards away from where he was last seen.
The massive search operation involved extensive collaboration across county lines. Because Clayton County did not have bloodhound tracking dogs available, neighboring agencies from Spalding County and Fayette County stepped in to supply their specialized tracking teams.
Police recover 6-year-old's body from Clayton County pond
A massive 17-hour search ended in heartbreak Monday morning when Clayton County police recovered the body of a missing 6-year-old boy from a pond near his apartment complex.
First responders spent hours deploying boats, drones and helicopters to find the child.
Police said officials also received support from community members during the search.
"There were a lot of citizens coming up, helping. They were bringing the officers water, trying to keep them hydrated as well so they can keep on searching. It means a lot to us. You know, the police force and law enforcement are just an extension of the community. Because we all live in the communities as well, you know. So, we're glad to be out there with our fellow citizens," said Maj. Frank Thomas.
Clayton police update on recovery effort for missing child
At 9:20 a.m. on Monday, emergency teams officially spotted missing 6-year-old Ramon Jett and recovered his body from Sand Pond. The location was found to be roughly 125 yards away from the spot where the nonverbal boy first vanished.
Thomas noted the heavy emotional toll the discovery took on the search teams.
"I would prefer that families call us immediately because the sooner you call us, you know, it takes us just a little bit of time to get our resources out there, but the sooner, the better," Thomas said.
"It weighs on everybody. Most officers are parents, or grandparents like myself, we have kids," Thomas added.
The backstory:
The 6-year-old child lived with autism and ADHD, and he was non-verbal.
His mother was at work when she received a call that her son was missing. RJ had been under the care of his older sister when he disappeared.
The sister and RJ took a nap on Sunday, but when she woke up, the front door to the apartment was open and the boy was gone.
The family searched for about two hours before notifying Clayton County police.
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet shared what caused the boy to get out of the apartment or the exact cause of his death. It remains unclear how long the child had been in the water before rescue teams located him.
A definitive cause of death has not yet been established. The Clayton County Medical Examiner's Office arrived at the scene and is transferring the child's body to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) crime lab for an official autopsy.
What they're saying:
Clayton County Public Schools shared that they are providing support and counseling through the district's Crisis Response Team. Ramon was a first-grade student at Harper Elementary School.
"The Clayton County Public Schools family extends its deepest condolences to the family and all those impacted by this tragedy," the school system said in a statement. "We respectfully ask for everyone to honor the family's privacy as they grieve the unimaginable loss of their beloved child."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Clayton County Police Department Major Frank Thomas, who explained how searchers located the child, as well as the boy's mother, Ashleigh Harris. FOX 5 reporter Annie Mapp also contributed to this report from the scene.