Authorities in Massachusetts are continuing their search Monday for a 4-year-old autistic boy who went missing in South Boston over the weekend.
Massachusetts State Police announced the disappearance of Mohamed Fofana, of South Boston, on Twitter. They said the child went missing near Castle Island, the northern tip of a stretch of Boston beaches overlooking Boston Harbor.
“No potential reasons” for the boy’s disappearance “have been ruled out at this time,” state police said.
Marine units and dive teams from several law enforcement and public safety agencies on Monday were searching the section of ocean known as the Western Way, which connects Dorchester Bay to the south and the Boston Main Channel to the north, state police said.
Side-scan sonar was being deployed off three boats, providing a sonar image of the ocean bottom. Divers will investigate any anomalies detected by the side-scan sonar, state police said.
They are also conducting what amounts to an underwater search along the entire length of the Castle Island sea wall out to a distance of 150 yards off-shore, state police said.
State police’s Air Wing, and the U.S. Coast Guard have conducted aerial searches along the coastline, which was also being searched by a drone with the Boston Fire Department, state police said.
Detectives have reviewed camera footage with the goal of determining Mohamed’s potential route of movement from the playground area, police said.
Sunday’s search, police said, included its marine unit, a dive team and an air wing. Boston police, fire, and emergency medical services along with the Massachusetts Environmental Police, also assisted, state police said.
The boy was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and blue footwear. They urged anyone with information to immediately call 911.
He was playing at a park on the coastline Sunday at about 7 p.m., state police said. An adult family member was with the boy when the relative lost sight of him.
That relative called 911 and reported the boy missing about 7:30 p.m., state police said.
Troopers from the State Police Detective Unit for Suffolk County also responded, state police said.
NBC Boston reported that the child’s mother said that he was with his grandfather and sister when he disappeared. She also said that he has autism and doesn’t speak. The boy has a tendency to wander off, the news outlet reported.
“Yesterday they come with grandpa for the playground,” the child’s mother, Mantenjay told NBC Boston. “He called me, ‘I see your daughter but I’m not seeing Mohamed.’ That’s why I come here yesterday. I not see him … I need to find Mohamed because Mohamed don’t do nothing for himself, nothing.”
