Drowning of autistic toddler highlights deeper issue of recurring incidents in Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. - A little boy, missing for hours, was found dead Thursday afternoon in a body of water at the Sheraton Vistana Resort.
Investigators say three-year-old Rakim Akbari, who was autistic, wandered off from his family and drowned.
His mother confirmed to FOX 35 News the family was visiting the Orlando area from Jacksonville, Florida.
The tragedy brings about an alarming and growing problem in Central Florida: autistic children are drowning at an accelerated rate.
Young Rakim’s death is just one of dozens to have happened in the last decade in Florida when it comes to children with autism.
"Autism affects the brain in different ways. Basically, it affects the brain in the way that it processes stimuli, so water is one of those things that they [autistic children] are particularly drawn to," said Cherlette McCullough, who is a family therapist.
She says, "They don't have the ability to really understand how dangerous the water could be."
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- Drowning of autistic toddler highlights deeper issue of recurring incidents in Florida
A study conducted by the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County found that between January 2021 and April 2024, 63 children with autism drowned in Florida.
Of those 63, seven children were from Seminole County, and six were from Orange County.
That’s not even the worst of it.
In the weeks after the study was completed in April, there were eight more drownings in Florida, with one of those deaths being a 13-year-old boy from Orange County.
Experts say situations like this are preventable.
That’s why organizations like Project Lifesaver exist.
"We have agencies that have tracked and located children in ponds, pools, oceans," said Project Lifesaver CEO and Founder Gene Saunders.
His organization keeps families connected with a radio frequency tracking device.
The person or child with a disability wears a bracelet that pings family members and law enforcement.
"When you're dealing with an autistic child that elopes or wanders, you're not dealing with an Alzheimer's patient where you have hours to locate them before harm will befall them – you've got minutes," Saunders said.