Missing Boy Found Dead In Water At FL Resort: Orange County Sheriff

ORANGE COUNTY, FL — A 3-year-old boy who went missing from a resort was found dead in a body of water on the property Thursday, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post.

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

The toddler wandered off from the resort in the 8800 block of Palm Village Circle, which is near State Road 535 and World Center Drive, prompting a missing child alert.

Rakim, who also went by “Tuda,” had autism and there was concern about his safety, the sheriff’s office said. Those looking for him were urged to check water and waterways.

"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," a guest at the resort told WESH.