Olin Elwood Fitton
The body of the five-year-old boy who went missing Wednesday afternoon was found in a pond near his family’s home in Anderson County, authorities said.
Ground search teams working with K-9s tracked the missing child, Odin Elwood Fitton, to a pond in the creek near the family home on Brushy Valley Road, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said.
“Our dive team was called to search the water, and sadly, the child’s body was found,” Lucas said Wednesday night.
Odin was reported missing at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, and ground and air searches began shortly after that. His family’s home is in the 1600 block of Brushy Valley Road near Interstate 75.
Lucas said about 100 people were involved in the search, including law enforcement officers and personnel from fire and rescue agencies from across the region.
“This not only included deputies from our agency but officers from many others, including search and rescue teams from the Knoxville Police Department, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office,” Lucas said. “Other teams were from the Anderson County Rescue Squad, the Andersonville Fire Department, and many other fire and rescue agencies not only from Anderson County but Campbell and other counties as well.”
Lucas said the Tennessee Highway Patrol helped search Interstate 75 and nearby roads. K-9 bloodhounds from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and the Knoxville Police Department were used to aid the search teams.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office provided a helicopter for air searches throughout the day.
“Our thanks to all those who came to assist,” Lucas said. “Our thanks to the community and the neighbors who came to assist as well. We also wish to thank the many others who came and were standing by, ready and willing to help if needed. It is truly a blessing to see our community come together to help others even as we are sad at the tragic ending.
“Our hearts are heavy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family in their time of sorrow.”
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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