Florida boy wanders from home, drowns in canal, police say

MIAMI – A young boy wandered away from his home and drowned in a canal near his home south of Miami, police said.

The 4-year-old boy's family called police on Saturday afternoon as soon as they realized he was missing, Miami-Dade police said in a news release.

Patrol officers and police dogs searched the area before divers located the boy’s body in the canal, police said.

“It appears in the fraction of a second, the child was able to exit the front door of the residence,” Miami-Dade Det. Alvaro Zabaleta told reporters gathered at the scene on Saturday evening. “It’s a very tragic day."

Police have not released the child’s name.