A 10-year-old boy drowned in a pond after sleepwalking away from his Missouri home, authorities said.
Jackson S. Georgari left his family’s Kansas City home around midnight last Friday, prompting a relative to call the police to report the missing boy, KMBC News reported.
The 10-year-old’s family told police in Kansas City that Jackson was known to sleepwalk.
His sisters said they believe he likely was walking a path along wooded areas near streams and ponds, which he knew well from his school bus rides.
“The first time it happened was when we were in San Diego, and he (sleepwalked) and then someone found him on the street and they called 911. They brought him over and he was found safely,” said his sister, Semina Richard.
“The second time, it was here. … We recently moved here from San Diego to Missouri. And he ran away again, and he went, like, all the way up there where his school is at because that’s the only place he recognizes,” she said.
Jackson’s body was found in a pond along the route he would take to get to school, about a half a mile from where he went missing, authorities said. His family said that he did not know how to swim, according to the report.
He was remembered by loved ones as a “generous and kind brother, son, nephew and grandson.” He also loved school and was a gifted student, according to a GoFundMe set up for his family.
“At school, Jackson was known to be a friendly, hardworking student who helped his peers when needed. Jackson made many friends who enjoyed playing soccer and football with,” the fundraiser read.
“He was looking forward to the upcoming school year, going into his last year of elementary school [and] got accepted into an accelerated math program at middle school level,” it continued. “For weeks he expressed his excitement to taking a class at a middle school.”
The little boy had dreams of becoming a firefighter or professional athlete, according to the fundraiser.
“He always has been surrounded with endless love, care and laughter.”
The fundraiser had received over $13,000 in donations as of Monday afternoon. The money will be used to help cover funeral costs.
At this time there is no sign of foul play involved in Jackson’s death, police said. The medical examiner will determine the cause and manner of Jackson’s death at the conclusion of their investigation.
