WEST CHESTER, Ohio — The Butler County Coroner's Office has determined a non-verbal 6-year-old boy who went missing in West Chester on Wednesday died from drowning, according to the coroner's report.
The coroner also ruled his preliminary manner of death as an accident.
Search parties found the boy dead Thursday night, one day after he was reported missing.
Police said family members reported Joshua Al-Lateef Jr. missing at around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. He had been dropped off earlier in the day by his bus driver and was with his adult sister before he was reported missing from their apartment complex.
"Tonight, we grieve with them," Police Chief Brian Rebholz said during their press conference Thursday night.
Officials said family members reported that Joshua liked water. Crews had been searching the eight retention ponds on the property on Wyndtree Drive; two of those were searched Wednesday night in the dark while five more were searched Thursday morning. During an additional search at around 9 p.m. Thursday, they said they were able to locate his body.
Multiple different agencies — including Ohio State Highway Patrol, Texas Equusearch, Buckeye SAR and multiple Cincinnati-area agencies — helped with the search, alongside hundreds of volunteers from the local community. Officials thanked all of those who showed up and searched for the young boy.
"I can't say enough about the support, not only the support we received here but it was also the support that we got out in the township from other agencies coming in and helping us out," Rebholz said. "Obviously the circumstances didn't turn out the way we wanted them to. We were on a mission to locate Joshua and bring him home, an unfortunately this is where we're at."
Officials said they will be wrapping up their investigation some time Friday morning.
Watch Live:
