SI autistic boy drowns

A 4-year-old autistic boy drowned off a Staten Island beach when he disappeared during a family gathering late Tuesday, cops and police sources said.

The boy, whose family lives in the borough, went missing from the barbecue area at Lincoln Avenue and Father Capodanno Boulevard at Midland Beach at 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday, police said.

After his mother reported him missing, responding officers found him in the water 15 feet from the shore, floating facedown, according to authorities and the sources.

He was taken to Staten Island University Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

His death was not immediately considered suspicious, according to police sources.

One member of the NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit who jumped into the water to rescue the boy was taken to the same hospital as a precaution but was not hurt, sources said.