Authorities find body of 5-year-old boy who went missing from home during nap with mom

Joshua McCoy had been missing since Saturday, authorities said.

November 12, 2024, 10:41 PM

The body of a 5-year-old Oregon boy who had been missing since the weekend was found on Tuesday, the Coos County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

"It is with immense sadness that we have to report that missing Joshua McCoy has been found deceased," the statement read.

Joshua McCoy, who had autism, went missing from his home in Hauser, according to the sheriff's office. He and his mother had taken a nap Saturday afternoon, but when his mother woke up around 5:30 p.m. local time, Joshua was missing, according to the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office had activated CORSAR -- the California Oregon Regional Search and Rescue Task Force -- to help search for the child.

The Coos County Sheriff's Office released this photo of Joshua McCoy.
Coos County Sheriff's Office

Drones and K-9 resources were involved in the search. Authorities tried pinging the boy's cellphone but it did not yield any "fruitful information," the sheriff's office said. In addition, a pond on the property was drained but nothing of interest was located. The sheriff's office also requested assistance from state and federal agencies.

The sheriff's office said the boy's body was discovered about 12:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, about 1.6 miles away from his home.

"Nothing is being ruled out at this time as we are considering all possible avenues," the Coos County Sheriff's Office said in an update on Monday.

Joshua's sixth birthday would have been on Saturday.

The investigation is ongoing and no additional information will be released at this time, the sheriff's office said.