Tiniroto: Heartbreaking end to search for missing New Zealand boy Boy's body found in a pond Went missing 24 hours earlier READ MORE: Heartbreaking twist in the search for missing girl By Pranav Harish For Daily Mail Australia Published: 10:27 BST, 12 August 2024 | Updated: 10:27 BST, 12 August 2024 e-mail View comments A desperate search for an autistic boy who went missing in treacherous conditions has come to a tragic end after his body was found in a pond at a rural property. Five-year-old Khyzah was last seen at a property in Tiniroto, near Gisborne, on the east coast of New Zealand 's North Island on Sunday afternoon. Khyzah's disappearance sparked a massive search and rescue effort involving 50 police officers, helicopter crews and rescue dogs.
About 200 locals from the tight knit community also joined the desperate hunt to locate the little boy after his distressed mother reported him missing. Volunteers used cars, dirt bikes and even horses to scour the surrounding areas, including steep hills and waterways that had been inundated with heavy rain. Some travelled on foot for several kilometres to navigate the rugged terrain while while travelled from far away to take part in the search.
The 24 hour long large scale search ended when police found Khyzah's body in a pond at a nearby farm on Tiniroto Road at about 3.30pm on Monday. Khyzah's body was retrieved by rescuers before he was returned to his family.
His body was later taken to Gisborne Hospital. The rescue effor.