STAFFORD, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 06: A police cordon surrounds the scene of a house fire in Sycamore Lane, Stafford, which claimed the lives of four children yesterday, on February 06, 2019 in Stafford, England. Police have named the four children who died as Keegan Unitt, aged 6, Tilly Unitt, 4, Olly Unitt, 3, and their older brother Riley Holt, 8. Two adults and another child are being treated in hospital. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Authorities in Orlando are searching for six Haitian men presumed to be missing. The men, aged 18-32, planned to attend the Special Olympic USA Games, which kicked off on June 5 in Orlando. However, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said the men disappeared after each of them turned in their hotel room keys on Monday.
“The well-being of these delegates is our foremost concern. Local authorities have indicated they have no reason to believe the health and safety of any of the individuals is at risk,” the Special Olympics said in a statement.
“To expand the reach and effectiveness of law enforcement’s efforts to locate these individuals, they have been reported as missing persons.”
According to a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office, the men returned their hotel room keys at about 2:30 p.m. local time. Despite closing off their access to their lodging, the men all left their personal belongings behind.
All six missing men are Black and identified by name and photographs in the social media post. Their names are Antione Joseph (32), Nicholson Fontilus (20), Peter Mianovich Berlus (19), Anderson Petit-Frere (18), and Steevenson Jackquet (24), and Oriol Jean (18).
The Special Olympics’ statement confirmed that five men are not athletes competing in the Olympics. However, one of the men identifies as “an adult with an intellectual disability,” per CBS News.
As detailed in the Special Olympics’ statement, authorities don’t seem to believe the missing men are in danger.
“At this time, we believe this is an isolated event and do not suspect foul play,” the Facebook post said. “We are asking anyone with information to please contact the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.”
As you may already know, venues across central Florida are hosts for the Special Olympics this week. One of those venues includes ESPN’s Wide World of Sports, located inside Walt Disney World.
The 2022 Olympics will “unite more than 5,500 athletes and coaches” from the U.S. and the Caribbean.
The sheriff’s office will work closely with Disney, the Special Olympics, and local and federal partners during the missing case.
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