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    Body of autistic 3-year-old boy found after he went missing from resort near Disney

    By Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY,

    2024-07-18

    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.

    More about 'elopement': Her boy wandered from home and died. This mom wants you to know the perils of 'elopement.'

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2ha3eI_0uW2mBVP00
    Pictured is Rakim Akbari, a 3-year-old who was found deceased in a body of water after going missing from a resort in Orlando, Florida on July 18, 2024. Courtesy of the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

    '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."

    This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Body of autistic 3-year-old boy found after he went missing from resort near Disney

    Related Search

    Missing personDisney resortsFamily griefInvestigation updatesChild safetyDisney Springs

    Comments / 172

    Add a Comment
    Green or Red NM
    07-21
    So sad. RIP sweetheart. Prayers and Condolences to the family. 🙏🙏🙏😥😥
    tread lightly
    07-21
    Kids are so fast at this age. I've only known children of this age to run, they never walk and can dissappear so quickly. What an awful tragedy for this family.❤️
    View all comments

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