The body of a missing girl with autism in has been found in Douglas Lake, Tennessee according to a post made by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

Serenity Kinsey, who was 7 years old was reported missing in Jefferson County at approximately 5am.

The Context

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an AMBER Alert on Thursday morning for the missing 7-year-old girl.

The AMBER Alert was sounded across Tennessee at 10:23 am, alerting residents to the search taking place.

What We Know

Less than an hour later, Kinsley's body was discovered in Douglas lake.

Kinsley was autistic and non-verbal. This is not the first time she had been reported missing, according to the sheriff's office there has been two other incidents where Kinsley was found quickly and nearby, according to local news station according to a post shared on the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.

Newsweek has reached out to a representative of Jefferson County Sheriff's Office for comment.

According to the CDC, drowning is the number one cause of death for children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Kinsey was reported missing at around 5 a.m. in Jefferson County, when her family noticed she had left her home on Indian Creek Road in the night. According to first responders, she could have left as early as 1 a.m, as the family said they had not seen her since then, according to a post shared on the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.

Her body was found by divers not far from her home, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation who had issued the AMBER Alert.

Newsweek has reached out to a representative of Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Tennessee Bureau of Investigation via their social media for comment.

Kinsey reportedly liked water and lived close to the lake, according to local news channel WSAZ.

A ground search began immediately and drones were used alongside Tennessee Highway Patrol Helicopters and the Knox County Sheriff's Office.

According to a post shared on the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, officials stated that "One of the first responding deputies deployed his K-9 partner which lead him to the area of a dock on Douglas Lake."

The statement continued that, "The Sheriff's Office and TWRA boats responded to that area and following a scan of the area both observed a suspicious signature on radar near a dock."

Then divers and an underwater device from the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency began searching the water, according to a post shared on the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.

The post on the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office page also confirmed that when the body of the child was found she was transported to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center.

What's Next

Condolences have poured in in the wake of this tragic event.

In a statement shared on X, formerly Twitter, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shared the following statement.

"We have a heartbreaking updated on the search for Serenity Kinsey. A dive team located her body in the lake near her home a short time ago. Our hearts go out to her family during this difficult time. We appreciate each of you who shared her information."

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