Death of mother, son in Boonton pond ruled accidental

The deaths of a mother and her young son in a Boonton park pond have been ruled accidental.

After 35-year-old Warda Syed's 6-year-old son was found crying for his mother in her parked car on Feb. 23, police tracked footprints to the edge of the Rockaway River. They discovered the bodies of Syed and her son Uzair Ahmed,11, in the water in the Upper Pond section of the Grace Lord Park.

Acting Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said the manner of death was determined by the Morris County Medical Examiner to be accidental and no criminal activity was involved. Carrol did not provide details about how they wound up in the water.

"Out of respect and consideration for family of the deceased, there will be no further comment on the circumstances of the incident," Carrol said.

Mother and son were laid to rest on Friday in an outdoor funeral at the Jam-e-Masjid Islamic Center. Members of the community sat on prayer mats in the middle of Madison Street in front of the JMC, according to NJ.com coverage of the funeral.

Syed was a substitute teacher and an after-school worker while her son Uzair was a fourth grader at the John Hill School in Boonton, according to a message from Superintendent Robert Presuto.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ