A 3-year-old autistic boy was found dead Thursday in a body of water at a Florida resort near Disney World after he wandered away in his pajamas hours earlier, according to authorities.
The body of Rakim Akbari was found after a desperate search ensued that morning when he vanished from the Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas in Orlando.
The youngster, whose nickname was Tuda, had autism and was last seen in white pajama pants and a maroon shirt at the resort which is about a 15-minute drive from Disney, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
The sheriff’s office said there was “extreme concern for his well-being” before the grim discovery in the water was made.
“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,” the sheriff’s office wrote on social media.
“We are grieving his loss, and our prayers are with his family.”
More details about his death were not immediately available.