A New York family is grieving the loss of their young son, who was found dead after he disappeared during a shopping trip to a Brooklyn Ikea. Hasebul Nehan, 9, was playing with his siblings when his family lost track of him right before the store closed on Wednesday evening. A frantic search ensued for the child, who was reportedly nonverbal and had autism.
After searching the store and reviewing surveillance footage, investigators saw Hasebul leaving from the back of the store headed toward the Erie Basin. After a three-hour search of the water, Hasebul's body was found. His family now faces the heartache brought on by a tragic accident.
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Hasebul was having fun with his siblings at the store.
His mother, Abida Sultan, told CBS News that a nanny was helping her watch the children while they shopped. Hasebul slipped out of sight quickly.
"She was watching he just jumping. I told him let him jump a little bit, but watch him. Then suddenly he jump and turn away run away in one minute. We didn't see," Sultan said.
The mother frantically searched for the boy but could not find him as the store was closing.
Sultan said she and a group of people looked for Hasebul, but he was nowhere to be found.
"We looking for the whole Ikea half an hour. I told them look, check the camera, check the camera. I don't see my son, check the camera," she recalled to CBS News.
Hasebul loved the water.
The little boy loved to be around bodies of water, and his mother often indulged his passion.
"He likes to see river. He likes to see ocean. I take him lots of time. Never happened … this never happened," Sultan said, according to CBS News. "He run away all the time for candy. We found him. I thought I'll find him again."
Although Hasebul had slipped away from his mother in the past, she always caught up to him. This time, however, it was different.
Somehow he ended up in the water and couldn't get out.
It appeared that Hasebul accidentally fell into the water and couldn't yell for help.
"They don't see. We didn't think he can go into the river," Sultan said. "He doesn't speak at all. That's why he couldn't call, 'Ma, help me!'"
The grieving mother said they planned to take him out to see the water after they finished shopping. Seemingly overcome with guilt, she told ABC 7, "I took him over there, why did I take him over there?"
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Police interviewed the family, but charges are unlikely.
Police believe the death was a "tragic accident," CBS News reported. A representative for Ikea shared a statement with the news outlet: "We are devastated by this tragedy. Our hearts are with the family at this difficult time."
Hasebul's brother, Abibul Dehan, told ABC 7 he was heartbroken over the loss of his brother. "I used to have so much fun with him even though he was autistic, I loved him, I'll miss him," he said.
