Missing 3-year-old found dead in irrigation canal, Colorado cops say. ‘Devastating’
A 3-year-old boy who wandered from his home has been found dead in an irrigation canal, Colorado authorities say.
Amari Galan, who had autism, was reported missing after wandering from his Rocky Ford home wearing only a diaper Saturday, May 18, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said in a news release.
He was last seen walking on Washington Street at about 4 a.m., authorities said.
Multiple agencies responded to help with the search for Amari, which “focused on the Catlin canal that runs directly behind” his home, according to authorities.
Rescuers searched throughout the night and into the following day, the Rocky Ford Police Department said in a Facebook post.
While searching the banks of the irrigation canal, rescuers found a body several miles downstream at about 5 p.m. Sunday, May 19, authorities said.
The county coroner’s office confirmed the body belonged to Amari, authorities said.
“Our hearts ache to hear the devastating news of the discovery of the body of 3-year-old Amari Galan,” Duane L. Gurule, Rocky Ford’s mayor, wrote in a Facebook post. “May we come together as a community to offer our support, comfort, and strength to the family of Amari Galan during this heartbreaking time.”
Rocky Ford is about a 95-mile drive southeast from Colorado Springs.
This story was originally published May 20, 2024 at 11:23 AM with the headline "Missing 3-year-old found dead in irrigation canal, Colorado cops say. ‘Devastating’."
