The body of 5-year-old Michael Bolden was found in a lake near a Plant City farmer’s market at State Road 39 and Sam Allen Road, according to Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee, who briefed reporters Sunday afternoon. He appears to have drowned in what Gee said is being treated as an accident.
Hillsborough County sheriff’s dive team was searching the pond as a precaution after they were contacted by the boy’s father.
Deputies said the boy, Michael Bolden, of Waverly, became separated from his father at about 10 a.m. The caregiver searched for the boy for 40 minutes to an hour before calling HCSO.
The boy is severely autistic and can only communicate through baby talk, said deputies, who spoke to the child’s mother.
“The caregiver (father) is distraught and confused, and so far the facts and circumstances are inconsistent,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Deputies said they are working with the father to get more information.