A six-year-old autistic girl drowned after she left her home and entered a neighbor's pool in Wendell, North Carolina. The child, identified as Melinda Xie, was nonverbal, according to her mother, Qiuqing Wang.
First responders attempted CPR, but Xie was pronounced dead at the scene, the town of Wendell announced in a media release. Investigators believe she exited her family's home on Garden Club Way and made her way into the neighboring property.
The neighbors were unaware of the girl's presence in their backyard until the drowning occurred. Xie was a student at Garden Carver Elementary School in Wendell.
Accidental drowning is a significant cause of death for both children and individuals with autism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies drowning as the second leading cause of accidental deaths for children aged five to 14. The National Autism Association (NAA) reports that children with autism are approximately 160 times more likely to drown than neurotypical children. According to an NAA study, nearly half of children with autism attempt to elope from safe environments, a rate significantly higher than their siblings without autism. A six-year study by the NAA found that accidental drowning accounted for 71% of deaths related to wandering or elopement in children with autism.
The Daily Mail has contacted the Town of Wendell and Garden Carver Elementary School for further comment.