CINCINNATI — Following the drowning death of a 6-year-old West Chester boy in November, a Cincinnati nonprofit is demanding that lawmakers pass legislation that would lead to better protection around neighborhood ponds and lakes.
In November, Joshua Al-Lateef Jr. was found dead after drowning in a pond near his home. Joshua had wandered away from his home the day before, which led to a massive search and a result that most people feared.
"I would love to prevent this from happening to any other family," said Leslie Williams, president of Empath for Autism.
Williams knows all too well about the dangers for kids with autism. She has a son with autism, which is part of why she started her nonprofit that works to provide resources for families with children with autism.
"We do everything we can in order to keep our kids safe, and sometimes everything we do just isn't enough," Williams said.
Hear how Williams is hoping to get lawmakers to improve protection for kids with autism around bodies of water:
WCPO 9 spoke to Williams in November following Joshua's death. At the time, her nonprofit helped provide free air-tags or "tile" bracelets to parents with children with autism.
According to the American Red Cross, drowning is the leading cause of death for kids and adults with autism. Now, Williams is calling on lawmakers to step in.
"We are working on proposing a bill that would make it a requirement to put fencing around retention ponds that are easily accessible for children," Williams said.
Williams said the bill would primarily focus on bodies of water near schools and where kids with autism live.
Williams sent a letter on Friday to Senator Bernie Moreno, calling on him to champion the initiative.
Williams said she hopes this can be the start of preventing future tragedies.
"I think that this is absolutely what needs to be done," Williams said.
