PICKENS — The search for a missing child in Pickens Monday came to a tragic end when the boy’s body was discovered.

Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley said the body of Benjamin Jacob Jones, 6, was found in a body of water after a search.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, she said.

The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office alerted the community Monday evening that the search for the boy had been underway since 5:30 p.m. after Jones went missing from his Midway Road home.

In addition to the sheriff’s office, Pickens County Emergency Management, rescue squads and local fire departments took part in the search.

In a social media post Tuesday morning, the sheriff’s office thanked the community for their response in the search for the boy.

An autopsy was scheduled to be held Tuesday.

The disappearance is being investigated by the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office.

Jones was a student at Ambler Elementary School.

“We are very sad to hear about the tragic loss of our precious K5 student, Benjamin Jones,” Ambler principal Carlton Lewis said in a statement released Tuesday. “He was a sweet, happy child who seemed excited about the start of the new school year. We will miss him tremendously. Our thoughts and prayers are with his entire family and friends.”