UPDATE:
The body of missing two-year-old Sam Trott has been found in Lansdale Lake, a couple of streets from the toddler’s home in Walbrook Mews, News.com reports.
Police divers returned to the lake this morning, where they made the tragic discovery.
More than 100 State Emergency Service volunteers and dozens of people from the community joined the search today, which has now been called off.
Our thoughts are with his family.
More details to come.
Here is what we previously reported:
The search for missing toddler Sam Trott continued overnight, but has not yet found any sign of the little boy, 9News reports.
Neighbours of the boy searched for Sam overnight using torches.
“The help and spirit to find Sam is overwhelming, everyone should be proud for such an amazing amount of help that continues to be provided by the community,” a statement by WA Police said.
Previously, Mamamia wrote:
It took just 30 seconds for Sam Trott to leave his house.
30 seconds before his mother noticed her two-year old son missing.
30 seconds which has now turned into a day and a whole night.
The desperate search continues this morning for two-year old Sam Trott who has now been missing since 10.30am yesterday morning from his home in Perth’s northern suburbs.
The entire community of Lansdale has spent the night searching, hoping and praying for the safe return of the little boy with autism.
It is thought that Sam might have run out the door at his family home after a tradesman left it open.
His frantic mother told media yesterday “We had some workmen come in to install some mirrors and one minute he was there and I spoke to him,” Lyndal Trott said.
“I heard the fridge door beep because he was in the fridge, I said ‘shut the door Sam’.
“Thirty seconds later it beeped again and as I turned back around … he wasn’t there.
“I immediately saw the front door open and I just ran, I ran out the front.
“In 30 seconds he was not there anymore.”
She said that Sam was no where to be seen,
“When I looked left and right, straight ahead and I couldn’t see him I ran straight back inside, I went through every room screaming his name.”
“He doesn’t know how to open doors but the door was wide open.”
Overnight more than 130 volunteers from the local community, SES and afar walked the streets searching for the little boy.
His disappearance touching their hearts as they joined the rest of Australia who collectively prayed for his safe return.
His Dad Matthew Trott asked everyone nearby to take a moment to check their gardens.
“Check your backyards, your frontyards, check your bushes … he could be hiding in your garden.”
“When you’re finished please go knock on your neighbours door and ask them to do the same thing.
“He can be quite sociable but by the same token he could run away. If you see him and he runs away run after him, catch him please because we really need him to come home.
“If you’ve got little drains, you know, he’s autistic, so he may not play with normal toys, so he could be hiding in the garden.
“He could be hiding somewhere, he could be wandering around he may well have got tired and laid down for a sleep.”
As the search widened yesterday a police helicopter, police dogs and mounted police joined efforts.
The call for volunteers was overwhelming with the West Australian Police Facebook page inundated with offers for help.
Sam has autism and is said to like water. A heart wrenching search of local lakes surrounding the nearby primary school were combed yesterday afternoon by police divers.
His grandfather Geoff Trott said it was a “difficult search”
“He’s very special. He’s got autism which makes it all the more difficult.”
Last Night West Australian Police asked everyone in the area to search their homes.
“As darkness falls we are asking the public in the Lansdale area to thoroughly search their gardens, sheds, bushes, inside and underneath cars, in case the missing boy has found a quiet sheltered area to sleep.
We thank the community for their overwhelming support in the search for the missing boy.”
But as the night grew deeper the little boy remain missing.
Here is the important bit – this is the description given by police:
“Sam is described as fair skinned, and was last seen wearing a blue polo shirt, shorts with a grey stripe and he has blonde hair.
Sam was last seen in the vicinity of Walbrook Mews, Landsdale just after 10:30am.”
Anyone who sees Sam is asked to call Police immediately on 131 444.
With hope in our hearts we send strength and support to the family of Sam Trott as they await the safe return of their little boy.
Top Comments
I can't stop thinking about this. I had just come back from dropping my son at school and going to the shops and I was checking to see if they needed any more people to help look when I read the terrible news. Poor family. He was such a beautiful boy. I hope his mum will be ok. I'm sure having a toddler with autism is really hard work, and this could have happened to any parent, but what a hard thing to accept. Wishing them lots of love and support. Just heartbreaking.
I think there might be a bit of future prevention here its called a fence. Like what is around nature reserves and schools. Opportunist, drawn to water just like my Autistic son. I swear I spent a year standing in front of the front door to keep that little one from escaping out into that great blue yonder.
Yes when I grew up front fences were all the go.. but the vast majority of 'developments' disallow them now. Besides that absolute fact, NO ONE can control "a tradie" or ANY visitor/ any person; and of course even if you inform them that your child is autistic (or ADHD, ETC ETC).. And to Natasha - does it really matter now to say what you said in light of this mother's (& her families' tragedy?