Girl's body found in Ballard pond
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun
July 31, 2015
http://www.paducahsun.com/news/local/073115_PS_Missing_Girl_Found
WICKLIFFE - The body of an autistic 8-year-old McCracken County girl, who was reported missing Wednesday afternoon, was found Thursday morning floating in a pond in Ballard County.
Kentucky State Police Detective Sgt. Dean Patterson said Skyleigh Pool was reported missing around 5 p.m. Wednesday. She was in Ballard County with her family visiting relatives in the 1500 block of Farm County Road near U.S. 60. The family had been staying there with an aunt for several days before the girl went missing, Patterson said.
"What we were told was the child was playing with other children and, at a certain period of time, the child was just no longer there and had possibly walked off," Patterson said.
Several agencies including KSP, the Ballard and McCracken sheriff's departments, Ballard County Emergency as well as the Ballard Rescue Squad responded to the scene and began looking for the girl.
"Our immediate problem was that there is a lot of water in that area, some cornfields and thick woods," Patterson said.
The detective estimated 100 people - law enforcement, rescue personnel and civilians - came out to look for Pool.
"We used all the resources that we had last night to begin a search," he said. "We utilized aircraft from the Illinois State Police that had (forward-looking infrared equipment) and would have allowed us to have seen body heat, and with the temperatures going down last night we thought that might help, but we didn't have any success."
At least 10 K-9 units were also utilized, and McCracken sheriff's officers contributed all-terrain utility vehicles.
At its peak, Travis Holder, director of Ballard County Emergency Management, said as many as eight search and rescue teams were combing the area.
Teams continued looking through the night and into Thursday morning, Patterson said. Pool was found around 8:15 a.m. in a pond about a quarter-mile away from the residence. "Rescue crews were circling that pond and they saw what they thought looked like something so they made a closer inspection and, when they realized what it was, they backed out and notified us," Patterson said.
The detective said it was possible the girl had been in the water when teams searched the area Wednesday night, but may have been submerged and not visible.
"At the point where she was located, it wasn't very deep, but in our experience with bodies and water the temperature plays a factor and in how long it takes for a body to come to the surface," Patterson said. "So it could have been that she was there last night, and we just weren't able to see her until this morning when the temperature rose."
According to a gold alert issued by Kentucky State Police Wednesday evening, Pool was last seen wearing a black and white T-shirt with a flower pattern, blue jean shorts and no shoes. Holder said the girl was still wearing those clothes when she was found.
Patterson said no foul play is suspected and the investigation is ongoing. An autopsy will be conducted today at the Louisville Medical Examiner's Office.
"We'll be able to determine more from the autopsy ... if there was any kind of foul play involved," Patterson said. "We don't suspect that right now, but (the autopsy) will help us further determine that."
With her type of autism, Pool was unable to verbally communicate, according to the missing persons alert.
Autism, a brain developmental disorder, comes in many different forms and can affect a person's ability to interact socially, communicate verbally or nonverbally and sometimes cause repetitive behaviors, according to Autism Speaks, a leading autism organization dedicated to funding research and awareness programs. The disorder can also affect a person's cognitive abilities, motor coordination and attention span.
According to Autism Speaks, one in 68 American children is diagnosed as on the autism spectrum each year, and the disorder affects more than 3 million individuals in the U.S.
The organization offers information regarding a number of safety resources, including identification bracelets, GPS trackers and communication aids that have been developed to help families monitor and protect their autistic children.
Contact Kat Russell, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8653.
Kentucky State Police Detective Sgt. Dean Patterson said Skyleigh Pool was reported missing around 5 p.m. Wednesday. She was in Ballard County with her family visiting relatives in the 1500 block of Farm County Road near U.S. 60. The family had been staying there with an aunt for several days before the girl went missing, Patterson said.
"What we were told was the child was playing with other children and, at a certain period of time, the child was just no longer there and had possibly walked off," Patterson said.
Several agencies including KSP, the Ballard and McCracken sheriff's departments, Ballard County Emergency as well as the Ballard Rescue Squad responded to the scene and began looking for the girl.
"Our immediate problem was that there is a lot of water in that area, some cornfields and thick woods," Patterson said.
The detective estimated 100 people - law enforcement, rescue personnel and civilians - came out to look for Pool.
"We used all the resources that we had last night to begin a search," he said. "We utilized aircraft from the Illinois State Police that had (forward-looking infrared equipment) and would have allowed us to have seen body heat, and with the temperatures going down last night we thought that might help, but we didn't have any success."
At least 10 K-9 units were also utilized, and McCracken sheriff's officers contributed all-terrain utility vehicles.
At its peak, Travis Holder, director of Ballard County Emergency Management, said as many as eight search and rescue teams were combing the area.
Teams continued looking through the night and into Thursday morning, Patterson said. Pool was found around 8:15 a.m. in a pond about a quarter-mile away from the residence. "Rescue crews were circling that pond and they saw what they thought looked like something so they made a closer inspection and, when they realized what it was, they backed out and notified us," Patterson said.
The detective said it was possible the girl had been in the water when teams searched the area Wednesday night, but may have been submerged and not visible.
"At the point where she was located, it wasn't very deep, but in our experience with bodies and water the temperature plays a factor and in how long it takes for a body to come to the surface," Patterson said. "So it could have been that she was there last night, and we just weren't able to see her until this morning when the temperature rose."
According to a gold alert issued by Kentucky State Police Wednesday evening, Pool was last seen wearing a black and white T-shirt with a flower pattern, blue jean shorts and no shoes. Holder said the girl was still wearing those clothes when she was found.
Patterson said no foul play is suspected and the investigation is ongoing. An autopsy will be conducted today at the Louisville Medical Examiner's Office.
"We'll be able to determine more from the autopsy ... if there was any kind of foul play involved," Patterson said. "We don't suspect that right now, but (the autopsy) will help us further determine that."
With her type of autism, Pool was unable to verbally communicate, according to the missing persons alert.
Autism, a brain developmental disorder, comes in many different forms and can affect a person's ability to interact socially, communicate verbally or nonverbally and sometimes cause repetitive behaviors, according to Autism Speaks, a leading autism organization dedicated to funding research and awareness programs. The disorder can also affect a person's cognitive abilities, motor coordination and attention span.
According to Autism Speaks, one in 68 American children is diagnosed as on the autism spectrum each year, and the disorder affects more than 3 million individuals in the U.S.
The organization offers information regarding a number of safety resources, including identification bracelets, GPS trackers and communication aids that have been developed to help families monitor and protect their autistic children.
Contact Kat Russell, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8653.
