Pennsylvania boy with autism found in creek after going missing during recess
By Maegan Summers
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LANCASTER, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — A 5-year-old boy with autism went missing for 15 minutes during recess at Hamilton Elementary School in Lancaster before being found in a wooded creek behind the school, according to the School District of Lancaster.
The boy’s mother, Shantilly Rivera, described the moment she learned her son, Malachi, had been found in the creek.
“I know it’s true, but I’m like, still sitting here like, nah, that didn’t happen. Like there’s no way,” Rivera said.
Malachi’s clothes were dirty and soaking wet when he was found, and he had scrapes and bruises on his legs and back, Rivera said.
“He has like scratches on his leg. Some bruises and scratches on his back,” she said.
Malachi is nonverbal, which his parents said made the situation even more frightening.
“He could have been in the water drowning and he couldn’t ask for help. He can’t scream out, someone help me, I’m drowning! Nothing. He would just drown,” Rivera said.
Malachi’s father, Ivan Rivera, said his son started attending Hamilton Elementary a month ago for its special needs program, which is supposed to provide one teacher for every two students in his class and ensure constant supervision.
“He needs extra precaution, he needs extra care and extra attention. And that’s what we thought we were getting when we put him in. That didn’t seem to be the case today,” Ivan Rivera said.
A district representative said the school immediately called 911 and launched an all-hands-on-deck search as soon as staff realized Malachi was missing.
The representative said student safety is the district’s top priority and confirmed the incident is under investigation. No staff members have been placed on leave at this time.
Malachi’s family said he is doing okay but will not be returning to Hamilton Elementary.
“Somewhere along the line, they promised us that he’d be safe and they failed. They failed us, and they failed him,” Shantilly Rivera said.
The district said its investigation will include reviewing policies to determine what changes are needed to prevent similar incidents.
Malachi’s family suggested measures such as more staff, a fenced-in playground, alarms on gates, or a tracker for students, saying these could have made a difference.
They also cited a similar incident in February when a nonverbal 11-year-old went missing from Fulton Elementary School in Lancaster.
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