A small Nebraska community is demanding change after an autistic nine-year-old escaped school and drowned in a nearby lagoon.
Kendrix Brehmer, a non-verbal third grade student at Northeast Elementary School in the rural town of Lyons, managed to slip away from recess on Monday.
He snuck out of the schoolyard gate and sprinted off before anyone could stop him, superintendent Lindsey Beaudette told his sorrowful father, Matthew Brehmer, over the phone.
Kendrix was still missing when Matthew received the life-altering call, prompting the panicked father to drive his truck throughout the tiny town, which only spans 0.69 square miles and has just over 800 residents.
‘I’ve never been more afraid in my life,’ Matthew recalled to First Alert 6.
About an hour into the search, the child’s uncle made the gut-wrenching discovery of his body in a lagoon at Brink Memorial Park, only a few blocks away from the school.
Kendrix was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead shortly after.
‘I lost all feeling in my legs. Just collapsed to the ground. Just didn’t know what to do with myself at that moment,’ Matthew said.
Kendrix Brehmer (pictured), a non-verbal third grade student at Northeast Elementary School in the rural town of Lyons, managed to slip out of recess on Monday
Kendrix (pictured) reportedly snuck out of the schoolyard gate and sprinted off before anyone could stop him
About an hour into the search, the child’s uncle made the gut-wrenching discovery of his body in a lagoon at Brink Memorial Park (pictured), only a few blocks away from the school
‘I just want answers. I want to know how he got away.’
Beaudette released a statement addressing tragic loss on Tuesday morning: ‘Our entire school community is heartbroken.
‘We are conducting our own investigation of the incident and cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities as they review the circumstances of the incident.
‘Out of respect for the family and the ongoing process, no further information will be shared at this time.’
As Kendrix’s parents are left wondering how the vulnerable student was let out of sight long enough to flee the school, the Lyons community has come together to push for the lagoon he died in to be drained.
A petition created by Kendrix’s great-aunt Tracy Stromquist urges the Lyons Town Council to get rid of the ‘grave threat to the safety of the community’s children.’
‘No family should have to experience such a devastating loss, and it’s imperative we take immediate action to prevent future tragedies,’ the petition, which has more than 130 signatures, reads.
Kendrix (pictured with his brother, Sawyer) was rushed to the hospital after he was found and pronounced dead shortly after
Lyons residents have come together to push for the lagoon he died in to be drained (pictured from left to right: Matthew, Sawyer, Kendrix and Crystal)
Northeast Elementary School is investigating how Kendrix was able to escape the schoolyard (pictured)
‘We call on the Lyons Mayor and Town Council to take tangible steps toward draining the lagoon without delay.
‘The park should be a place of enjoyment and relaxation, not of worry and sorrow.
‘By addressing this issue immediately, we can prevent further tragedies and make the community a safer place for everyone.’
Stromquist referenced another Lyons child who drowned in the very same lagoon in February 2024, 10-year-old Mason Tiedgen.
Mason’s mother, Erin Tiedgen, commented under the petition: ‘This is something I’ve become extremely invested in since it happened to my family last February.
‘It still hurts. I can’t hardly go to Brink without getting angry at the world for taking my son away from me.’
‘I just don’t want this to happen to any more kids,’ Matthew reiterated to First Alert 6.
‘He’s just a special kid. Everybody loved him. And he loved everyone.’
In February 2024, 10-year-old Mason Tiedgen (pictured) died in the same lagoon as Kendrix did
Kendrix father Mathew Brehmer (pictured) said he fell to his knees when his son was found and he hopes this never happens to another child
Kendrix was described as a friendly child with a vivid imagination who loved clocks, Paw Patrol and stuffed animals, according to his obituary.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the Lyons Town Council regarding the petition made against the lagoon.
Roughly 830 American children ages 14 and under die from drowning each year, according to Stanford Medicine.
Drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional deaths for kids ages one to 4 and 10 to 14.
Aside from fatalities, more than 3,600 children sustain injuries from near-drowning incidents.
