Calgary family mourns death of 5-year-old boy found in northeast retention pond

The mother of a five-year-old boy who died after falling in a retention pond in northeast Calgary says he was a "happy boy" who was always smiling.

Five-year-old Raheel Uddindied in hospital on Saturday, a day after he was pulled from aretention pond near where the family lives in the northeast community of Saddle Ridge.

Uddin suffered from a seizure disorder as well as autism. As a result, he was hyperactive but non-verbal, said his mother, Rozina Mina.

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Uddin attended his final day of the year at Providence a school for children with disabilities inCalgary on Friday. He was at home after school with his family when he disappeared.

"Dad was cleaning the garage, I was cookingand my older son was cleaning the basement," said Mina.

The family thought Uddinwas watching television, but when Mina didn't hear him making noise, she went looking for him.

'Everything was too quiet'

"Everything was too quiet so I said, 'Raheel,' and I didn't hear back anything," she said."Then Ichecked with my older son in the basement and he said, 'No,Raheelnever came here, he should be upstairs.'"

The alarm was raisedand the family began searching for the boy with the help of neighbours, and then called police.

About 45 minutes after he was noticed missing, a neighbour found the boy floating in the pond.

"It happened too fast," said Mina.

Calgary EMS were called to the pond around 5:15 p.m. Uddinwas rushed to hospital where he died on Saturday.

The family says they would now like to see fences erected around ponds to protect other children.

"It's not safe," said Mina."I'm a mother for all kids, so every parent will understand my feeling."

The death is not considered suspicious.

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