SOUTH MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Authorities are investigating a drowning in South Miami-Dade that claimed the life of a 7-year-old boy and left his family devastated.
Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office units responded to a 911 call about a missing child near Southwest 284th Street and 142nd Avenue, just after 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
Deputies immediately began canvassing the area in an effort to locate the boy, identified as King Dixon, and requested additional resources, including aviation and K-9 units, to assist in the search.
“Our deputies arrived three minutes right after this call, and they began to search for this child,” said MDSO Detective Joseph Peguo.
Investigators said a deputy located King in a nearby canal.
“One of the deputies was able to locate a body of water where he found a body floating. He immediately jumped in the water and removed this child,” said Peguo. “Two other deputies began lifesaving efforts until Miami-Dade Fire Rescue arrived and airlifted the child to HCA [Florida] Kendall [Hospital].”
Detectives spent around 30 minutes performing CPR before Dixon was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition. Despite first respinders’ best efforts, the boy was pronounced dead.
“It is our job to save lives, and our deputies did their best this night, and we want to keep this family in our prayers alongside our deputies that will take this home with them tonight,” said Peguo.
Now a grandmother is left heartbroken as she remembers the life of her grandson.
“This is a dream, it’s a dream because I don’t expect, he’s not sick to die like that,” said Loustanie Dorval, Dixon’s grandmother.
King’s family said he was a loving child on the autism spectrum who loved food.
“He loves the water, he loves astronauts, he loves the color green, he loves his fruits,” said his aunt, Vanessa Welsey. “God forbid you didn’t give him beans with rice or watermelon in the morning.”
The family and a nearby resident said King wasn’t found until shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday, so they wonder if the outcome would have been different if he was found more quickly.
MDSO’s Homicide Bureau has taken over the ongoing investigation.
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