Police said 10-year-old Jackson Georgari apparently left his Northland home while sleepwalking before an extensive search began.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 10-year-old boy was found dead in a pond Thursday, about 12 hours after police said he apparently walked out of his Northland home while sleepwalking.
Jackson S. Georgari was found unresponsive shortly after noon July 9 in a pond near Briarcliff Village, a shopping and dining area north of downtown Kansas City. Fire and rescue personnel immediately attempted to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Kansas City Police Department.
Police said Jackson was last seen shortly before midnight at his home in the 1100 block of Northwest Vivion Road. A missing-person alert described him as wearing a gray T-shirt and gray shorts. Authorities said he had a history of sleepwalking and was believed to have left the home during an episode.
Officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel searched the surrounding area throughout the morning. Police used drones and other resources, while officers contacted nearby residents and asked them to examine footage from security cameras and doorbell systems.
The search focused on the Briarcliff area, which includes homes, businesses, wooded land, waterways and ponds. Jackson was eventually located in what Kansas City police Capt. Jake Becchina described as a large pond near North Mulberry Street.
Police initially said they did not know whether Jackson was still sleepwalking when he entered the water or whether weather conditions played a role. Investigators reported no immediate signs of foul play, but authorities had not released a final determination about the circumstances surrounding his death.
The case was transferred to a death investigation after Jackson was found. The medical examiner is responsible for determining the official cause and manner of death. Police had not announced those findings as of Monday.
Several residents joined the search before Jackson was found. Estela Yslas, a longtime neighborhood resident, said officers showed her a photograph of the boy as she looked around the area. Another resident, Heather Meikenhous, said police asked homeowners to review their security recordings for possible sightings.
Becchina expressed sympathy for Jackson’s relatives and described the outcome as devastating for both the family and the community. He said the family had gone to sleep under normal circumstances before awakening to a search that ended in tragedy.
Jackson’s relatives told local news organizations that he had wandered from home during previous sleepwalking episodes and had been returned safely. Authorities have not said whether additional evidence has changed their initial assessment that no foul play was apparent.
The investigation remains open while officials await the medical examiner’s findings and review the events that led Jackson from his home to the pond.
Author note: Last updated July 13, 2026.