JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Neighbors said they are heartbroken after a 3-year-old girl with autism drowned in a retention pond in Northwest Jacksonville on Monday.
A woman said her outdoor camera caught footage of a child walking down the street in the middle of the night and making their way to the retention pond where they drowned.
“I’m just terribly sorry that this happened to y’all, and thoughts and prayers go out to y’all and hopefully y’all can lean on each other during this difficult time,’ Hunter Weavil, a neighbor, said.
Other neighbors said the pond plays a large role in the community and people often come out to walk their dogs and fish, but they said they’ve never seen anyone swim in it.
“It’s sad to hear about what happened, just thinking about it last night I could barely sleep,” Darrin Holloway said.
According to the Florida Department of Children and Families, at least five children have drowned in the state in 2026. The deaths prompted Councilman Reggie Gaffney Jr. to host a community meeting to come up with ways to prevent more children from drowning. They talked about gates and signs to help prevent the drownings.
“My heart goes out to them, my heart aches for them, I could just give them a hug right now, I want to let them know that I’m doing everything possible to prevent this tragedy from happening again and I’ll make sure my colleagues do everything possible as well,” Gaffney Jr. said.
Reggie Gaffney, Jr. holds community meeting after 3-year-old child with autism drowns in retention pond. (Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.)
Weavil said he just had a child and after the drowning, he is going to be extra careful about safety.
“I think she needs a lock up high so they can’t reach it or some sort of sound system,” Weavil said. “I’ve seen those done where it’s like once it disconnects from each other and it’s extremely loud so probably something to that extent.”
Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.