Missing 6-year-old girl dies after falling into frigid pond, Massachusetts cops say

A 6-year-old girl died after falling into an icy pond in Massachusetts, officials said.

Police were called to report that the girl, identified as Josephine Pinto in her obituary, was missing, according to a Jan. 17 news release by the Norton Police Department.

Because the water is so close to her home, firefighters started searching the area, officials said.

“Josie was a typical young child full of life and full of wonder of the world around her. She loved to do puzzles, loved stacking things and climbing things, loved to swing on her swing in the backyard and she loved watching her favorite movie ’Frozen,’ sometimes even multiple times in a day. She also loved eating apples and Portuguese rolls,” the girl’s obituary said.

Police and firefighters created a rescue command post at the bridge across from the girl’s home, officials said, and firefighters put on their cold water suits and went into the pond to look for her.

Divers eventually found the child, and she was taken by ambulance to Sturdy Memorial Hospital, where was pronounced dead, officials said.

“Josie was a loving and affectionate child and she especially loved everything about school. She loved attending school, loved all of her teachers and her classmates, and even loved riding to school in that ‘big yellow school bus,’” her obituary said.

The girl had autism and is survived by a twin sister, the Taunton Daily Gazette and other news outlets reported. Their mom is a special education teacher, according to a GoFundMe and media outlets.

Norton is about a 40-mile drive southwest of Boston.

This story was originally published January 23, 2025 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Missing 6-year-old girl dies after falling into frigid pond, Massachusetts cops say."