By Amy Sienicki
 
October 15, 2008
 
JACKSONVILLE, Ore. -- Jacksonville Public Safety says the circumstances leading up to the situation where an autistic six-year-old boy was found in an irrigation ditch last week are still "a complete mystery".
 
Last Tuesday, Luke Baehne, a special education student at Jacksonville Elementary School, wandered away from school during a transition time between class periods. Police received a 9-1-1 call about 20 minutes later from a witness who spotted the boy in an irrigation ditch just three blocks from the school. Baehne was found face down in the water and not breathing when emergency vehicles arrived. Paramedics tried reviving him several times before taking him to Rogue Valley Medical Center, where doctors were able to revive him, before being transported to Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland.
 
Jacksonville Public Safety completed their investigation into the case Wednesday.
 
"No one saw him. So it's a complete mystery from the time he left the school grounds to the time we found him in the water," says David Towe with Jacksonville Public Safety.
 
Officials reviewed 9-1-1 tapes, talked to playground teachers and advisors, and checked with surrounding businesses to see if anyone saw Baehne wander off school property.
 
"As I understand it, and I don't know Luke personally, even if he makes a 100-percent recovery, we won't be able to ask him, and he won't be able to answer those questions," says Towe.
 
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is also conducting its own investigation into the case.
 
"Worst case scenario, meaning largest amount of time in the water, in my opinion, is 15 minutes, and that's if he went straight to the water," says Towe.
 
Meanwhile, The Medford School District says the incident has forced the district to review its safety procedures. Medford School Superintendent Dr. Phil Long says they are looking into whether protocol was followed, and how that protocol could be improved in the future.
 
The Education Service District is also doing an internal investigation, standard procedure for an incident like this. They say that this time there are no plans to change protocol.
 
Luke's parents say they have hired an attorney to look into the incident. Luke's father Phil Baehne has said his son is now off all tubes and has swallowed water and eaten some food. Doctors have told Luke's parents that his recovery will be slow.