Wellesley Police Chief Writes about Morses Pond Drowning

Saturday afternoon, a 10-year-old boy went missing at Morses Pond, was found in the water and taken to Newton-Wellesley Hospital, where he unfortunately died.

Police are still investigating the pond, which remains closed to swimmers and residents until further notice. 

At the Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday night, Wellesley Police Chief Terrence Cunningham explained that the incident is "still under investigation. We don't believe anything nefarious happened, but we still have a couple of leads to follow."

The pond opened for swimming on Memorial Day weekend, and was fully staffed at the time of the June 1 incident. Police responded to the scene within four minutes of the initial 911 call, according to a post on the Police website.

He added, "Everyone on scene did what they were trained to do. It was a very unfortunate accident."

Following the incident, Chief Cunningham penned the following open letter: 

An Open Letter to Wellesley Residents:

The Town of Wellesley, the lifeguards and office staff at Morses Pond, and the Wellesley Recreation Department offer their sincere condolences to the family and friends of tenyear old Alexander Glennon of Manchester, New Hampshire. Alexander lost his life at Morses Pond on Saturday, June 1.

Morses Pond was opened for weekend hours on Memorial Day.  On June 1, the pond was fully staffed with eight lifeguards.  Alexander was visiting the pond with members of his extended family.  

Late Saturday afternoon a lifeguard observed a woman looking around the beach area. The lifeguard approached her and asked if everything was ok. She explained that she was looking for a missing ten year old boy but thought he might be with another family member. The lifeguard offered to clear the water and begin a search. After quickly confirming that Alexander was not with his father, the lifeguard immediately activated the prearranged Emergency Action Plan (EAP). The EAP, in which all of the lifeguards and staff are fully trained, includes the removal of all swimmers from the water, a 9-1-1 call to the Wellesley Emergency Communication Center, a search of the grounds surrounding the pond including the lifeguard house, shoreline and parking area, and a thorough line search of the water. 

Members of the Wellesley Police Department arrived within four minutes of receiving the 9-1-1 call. Additionally, the Wellesley Fire Department, Natick Fire Department, Massachusetts State Police, and the Massachusetts Environmental Police also responded.  

The officers on the scene coordinated a search of the beach and surrounding areas. Two Wellesley Fire Department divers arrived on scene and located Alexander in the water soon thereafter.

Members of the Wellesley Fire Department and AMR paramedics began administering CPR to Alexander and continued these efforts while en route to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Medical personnel continued treatment but despite their best efforts, they were not able to save Alexander.

Due to the ongoing investigation, Morses Pond will remain closed until further notice. All inquiries should be directed to the Wellesley Police Department. We wish to thank all of the lifeguards, Morse’s Pond staff and all the first responders involved in this tragic accident for their professionalism and dedication during the search for Alexander. Grief counselors have been made available to the lifeguards. Our heartfelt sympathies extend to the family and loved ones of Alexander Glennon.

The call initially came in at about 6 p.m., and Officers Poirier and Carrasquillo were the first to the scene. Wellesley and Natick Fire Departments, as well as Mass State and Environmental Police were soon on the scene to help. 

Before 7:20 p.m., scanner reports indicated that police had located the child. Although his status was unclear, he was described as a "drowning victim," and was transported to the hospital. Wellesley Fire Dive Team members Chris Larsen and Scott Smith found Alex 30 feet from shore.