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9-year-old Winter Haven boy drowns in lake

Tribune photo by JAY NOLAN

Polk County divers found the body of Sony Georges at 7:45 a.m. today in Lake Cannon.

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By JEFF PATTERSON | News Channel 8
and JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 27, 2009

Updated: 04/27/2009 02:24 pm

Sony Georges

WINTER HAVEN - A 9-year-old boy accidentally drowned in Lake Cannon in Polk County, deputies said today.

Sony Georges was reported missing early today. Deputies found his body at 7:45 this morning in the lake.

On Sunday, Sony told his older brother he was "going to the lake," which is a few blocks from his home at 931 29th St. N.W., Winter Haven, sheriff's office spokeswoman Carrie Eleazer said.

He left between 4 and 5 p.m. Sunday. His mother was at work at the time, and Sony's older siblings were watching him. His brother assumed Sony was going to play in the neighborhood as usual, Eleazer said.

When Sony's mother arrived home from work about 11:20 p.m., she began looking for him. The family found his bicycle three feet from shore, Eleazer said.

Hillary Hendrix, Sony's teacher at Inwood Elementary, said Sony was special and got along well with classmates.

"Just telling them that he's not going to be back in class and, you know, explaining the circumstances, you know a lot of them just don't understand why he won't be back," she said.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691.

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