Body of Samuel Jones, 4, recovered from hole in Carlsbad, N.M.

The body of a 4-year-old boy was pulled from a 27-foot hole in Carlsbad, N.M., almost two days after the child went missing from his home next door, police said Monday.

The boy was identified as Samuel Jones, the subject of an Amber Alert, Capt. John Moyers said in a telephone interview.

The incident is still under investigation but it appears to be a tragic accident, Moyers said.

The hole is beside a fence near the house in which the boy, his parents and two older siblings live, Moyers said. The boy was last seen playing in the yard with relatives on Saturday.

Police believe the boy fell down the hole, which is 12 to 14 inches wide at the top and about 27 feet deep, Moyers said.

Initial reports said an Amber Alert had been issued because authorities feared that Johnson had been abducted.

On Sunday morning authorities found the hole and saw a body that was believed to be the boy’s. The alert was canceled Sunday night.

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