Missing five-year-old in New Zealand found dead during search.

Tragedy struck the community of Tiniroto near Gisborne, New Zealand on Monday afternoon when a young boy's body was found in a nearby pond. The police have identified the boy as five-year-old Khyzah, who had been reported missing the previous day. As the news spread, the entire community was left devastated and heartbroken.

The discovery of Khyzah's body came after an extensive search by the police dive squad, who had been scouring the area since Sunday. The pond where the body was found was located about 200 meters away from a house on a farm in Tiniroto. Tairāwhiti Area Commander Inspector Darren Paki expressed his condolences to Khyzah's family and the community, saying, "This is obviously not the outcome we, the searchers, and the community were hoping for, and our hearts go out to Khyzah's whānau and all those who loved him."

Paki also took the opportunity to thank everyone who had contributed to the search efforts and supported Khyzah's family during this difficult time. He emphasized the strong sense of community in Tiniroto and how it had been a crucial factor in the search. Khyzah's family, who lived on a nearby farm, had gathered at the scene as the police divers retrieved his body from the pond.

Khyzah had been last seen on Sunday afternoon, wearing a green hunting and fishing long-sleeve top, a nappy, and no shoes. As the search continued into the night, the weather took a turn for the worse with temperatures dropping to seven degrees and heavy fog rolling in. Despite these challenging conditions, around 200 people had joined the search for Khyzah.

Detective Inspector Wayne Beattie, who had been leading the search, spoke about the difficulties they faced in trying to locate the young boy. He mentioned that they were unsure of the direction in which Khyzah had gone and the search area had to be expanded to encompass steep and heavily bush-clad terrain. The search efforts involved multiple teams, a helicopter, and search and rescue dogs, along with other specialist groups.

The close-knit community of Tiniroto had rallied together to help find Khyzah, with around 100 people turning up to search the farm on Sunday afternoon. Despite the freezing temperatures and thick fog, they continued their search until 1am. The following day, even more people joined in, with some coming from neighboring towns to lend a hand. Regina Kahaki, who had traveled from Tolaga Bay, spoke about the community's response, saying, "When they heard a child had gone missing, everyone rallied. This pulls on the old heartstrings."

As the news of Khyzah's tragic death spread, crowds of searchers and community members gathered at the farm where a make-shift hub had been set up. The police once again thanked the community for their overwhelming support and asked for only those with search and rescue experience to come forward and assist in the search efforts.

In the midst of this heartbreaking situation, local farmer Alex Campbell spoke about the community's determination to find the missing child. He mentioned the challenging terrain they had to navigate, which included waterways, steep hills, and forestry, likening it to finding a needle in a haystack.

This tragedy has left the entire community in shock and mourning. Khyzah's family, friends, and the entire community of Tiniroto will continue to grieve and remember the young boy who was taken from them too soon.

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