3-Year-Old Boy with Autism Found Dead in Water Near Disney World

Florida authorities said that they located the body of a 3-year-old boy with autism who wandered from a resort near Disney World on Thursday, July 18. 

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, the Orange County Sheriff's Office confirmed the news the child, who was identified as Rakim Akbari.

“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 [on July 18],” the sheriff's office wrote. “Our detectives are still looking into how this tragedy occurred."

“We are grieving his loss, and our prayers are with his family,” they concluded.

A missing child alert released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Thursday morning said Rakim was last seen in the area of the 8800 block of Palm Village Circle in Orlando, Fla.

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At the time of his disappearance, Rakim was last seen wearing a maroon shirt and white, green and red pajama pants; he had no socks nor shoes. The alert asked the public to check the water and waterways.

“Rakim has limited verbal communication skills and may respond to the nickname ‘Tuda,’ ” the alert added. 

An earlier X post shared by the sheriff’s office stated that Rakim has autism, adding, “There is extreme concern for his well-being.”

The resort from where Rakim wandered off was identified by USA Today and NBC affiliate WESH as the Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas at Lake Buena Vista, which is approximately 12 miles from Disney World. 

Upon hearing the news about Rakim, a guest at the resort told WESH, "It's just heartbreaking."

"My heart really goes out to the family about the loss of the little boy. It's a child, what can we say. With anyone really, but when it's the babies, that hurts even more,” they continued.

PEOPLE reached out to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for additional information on the case. 

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