Missing Providence Girl, 5, Confirmed Dead After Water Search: Police

PROVIDENCE, RI — A 5-year-old Providence girl who was reported missing from her home late Wednesday night is confirmed dead after she was found unresponsive in a pond at Roger Williams Park, police confirmed to Patch Thursday.

The little girl lived with her family in a home on Babcock Street, not far from the park, where she was found in the water by the swan boats around 4:30 a.m. Thursday, according to WPRI.

Authorities searched for hours using police dogs and drones between the time the girl was last seen—around 11:15 p.m. Wednesday on the family's doorbell camera—and the moment she was found, WJAR reported.

Police said the girl was believed to be nonverbal, possibly due to autism, according to WPRI.

She was pulled from the water by police and the Providence Fire Department before being pronounced dead at the hospital, police said, according to WJAR.