The body of an eight-year-old boy, Ryan Akagbusi, who was recently declared missing, has now been found and recovered from a local lake in Richmond, Fort Bend County, Texas.
Ryan, who was non-verbal, disappeared from his Richmond home around 4:30 am on August 24, 2024.
“My friends and family are here —the whole neighbourhood. Police are here.
“We’ve had K9. We’ve had helicopters. We’ve had drones go around. We’ve gone door to door. Everybody is here. The whole Lakemont is here,” the boy’s mother reportedly said.
The search for the boy was extensive, involving K9 units, helicopters, and drones.
Surveillance footage from Ryan’s home showed him leaving his bedroom at approximately 4:56 am, and a neighbour’s camera later captured him walking down a nearby street.
Despite these efforts, the search ended in tragedy when Ryan’s body was discovered in the lake near his last known location on Sunday, August 25, 2024.
The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the recovery of Ryan's body and announced it on social media, leading to a wave of condolences and expressions of sympathy from the community.
Residents flocked to the Sheriff’s Office’s social media page to offer their support and share their sorrow.
In response to the tragedy, many community members have called for increased safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Suggestions include incorporating swimming lessons into school curricula and implementing stricter safety regulations for retention ponds, such as installing fences and locked gates.
Residents have emphasised the importance of repeatedly checking and securing areas around bodies of water to protect children and others.