The body of 8-year-old Ryan Akagbusi, a non-verbal Nigerian boy, was recovered from a lake in Richmond, Fort Bend County, Texas, on August 25, 2024, devastating the local community.
Ryan was reported missing from his home around 4:30 am on August 24. His mother told ABC13 (KTRK) that surveillance footage showed him leaving his bedroom at 4:56 am, with a neighbor’s camera capturing him walking down a nearby street about 30 minutes later.
The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook that Texas EquuSearch located Ryan’s body in a lake near his last known location at approximately 6:46 am on Sunday, ending a frantic search effort that involved K9 units, helicopters, drones, and door-to-door inquiries.
Community members flooded the Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page with condolences and expressions of shock. Residents raised concerns about safety measures for children, particularly those with special needs.
Tacoma Burden, a local resident, commented, “I’m praying hard for this family. It’s my worst nightmare as a parent with a child on the spectrum.” Others called for more thorough search procedures and increased safety measures around bodies of water.
The tragedy echoes a similar incident from June when Aisha Adebayo, a 12-year-old Nigerian autistic girl, drowned in a lake near her home in Fulshear, also in Fort Bend County.
