The Orange County community is confronting a heartbreaking loss after the discovery of 3-year-old Rakim Akbari, who was reported missing and later found deceased in a body of water at a resort near Disney theme parks. The incident has particularly resonated given Rakim's autism, raising questions about safety measures for vulnerable children at public accommodations, as reported by WFTV.
Authorities began their search early Thursday when Rakist was noticed missing, the boy having wandered away from the Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas at Lake Buena Vista barefoot, sparking a widespread search, and a Florida missing child alert was issued by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; his absence felt like a gaping hole in the fabric of the resort's bustling activity. According to a report by WESH, the search concluded tragically when the Orange County Sheriff's Office located Rakim's body later in the day.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office publicly expressed their sorrow following the recovery of the child's body, "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," as they shared in an update on X, as cited by WESH. In their ongoing investigation, detectives are piecing together the circumstances leading up to this unfortunate event to understand how such a tragedy occurred.
