Body of autistic 3-year-old boy found after he went missing from resort near Disney
The body of a 3-year-old boy with autism was found in a body of water on Thursday after he was reported missing from a resort near Disney in Orlando, Florida.
Rakim Akbari was found by Orange County sheriff's deputies who were searching for the toddler throughout the day. The belief is that Akbari, who goes by "Tuda," wandered away from the resort sometime that morning, the sheriff's office said around 9:55 a.m. in a post on X.
Akbari was reported missing from the Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas at Lake Buena Vista, which is about 12 miles from Disney World and five miles from Disney Springs.
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'Our prayers are with his family'
The search concluded hours later when deputies discovered the child's body, the sheriff's office said at 3 p.m. in another X post.
"It is with heavy hearts that we must share that our deputies have found Rakim Akbari deceased in a body of water," the post said. "Our detectives are still looking into how this tragedy occurred. We are grieving his loss, and our prayers are with his family."
It is with heavy hearts that we must share that our deputies have found Rakim Akbari deceased in a body of water at the resort where he was reported missing this morning. Our detectives are still looking into how this tragedy occurred.
We are grieving his loss, and our prayers… pic.twitter.com/3huAOOo0u4— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) July 18, 2024
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 3-year-old Orlando boy found deceased in body of water near resort
