Missing 7-year-old Florida boy found dead in water was 'bright light, always full of energy,' family says

Emerson Felix: Missing 7-year-old found dead in lake

A 7-year-old Orlando boy who was reported missing overnight has died. Authorities said Emerson Felix was found early Tuesday morning in a lake not far from his home. How he wandered away and entered the lake is under investigation, officials said.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A 7-year-old boy who was reported missing overnight was found dead in a body of water near his home, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Tuesday.

Authorities issued a Florida Missing Child Alert for Emerson Felix early Tuesday, shortly after 4 a.m. Around 10:30 a.m., the sheriff’s office announced that the boy’s body had been located in a body of water not far from his Orlando residence.

"We are devastated to inform you that our deputies have found Emerson Felix, deceased, in a body of water near his home where he was reported missing. Our detectives are still looking into how this tragedy occurred," the sheriff’s office posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "We mourn Emerson’s loss and extend our heartfelt condolences and prayers to his family, his classmates, and all who love him."

Family members described Felix as a "bright light, always full of energy."

"You couldn’t be sad around him," one relative shared. "He was always getting people with a hug."

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Felix went missing around 6:45 p.m. Monday near Flintshire Street in Orlando. Family members, along with law enforcement, searched the neighborhood, including nearby bodies of water.

Early Tuesday morning, the family received the news they had dreaded.

"All they did was tell us they found him in the lake," a family member told FOX 35 News.

Relatives said it was unusual for Felix to wander off, but they noted that he showed signs of being autistic.

Gene Saunders, a former law enforcement officer and spokesperson for Project Lifesaver—a program designed to locate individuals with cognitive disorders such as autism—explained that children with autism are often drawn to water.

"They go to the water because it offers serenity, peace, tranquility. They don’t understand the consequences if they can’t swim," Saunders said.

The loss has deeply affected the community, neighbors, and loved ones.

"It’s been a lot on the whole family," one neighbor said. "It’s just a sad situation. It hurt me because I have a lot of grandchildren."

Felix was a student at Catalina Elementary School. In a statement, the school expressed its sympathies: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family as they go through this extremely difficult time."

The family said they have few details about the circumstances of Felix’s death and are awaiting further information from investigators.

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