Balloon release held for 7-year-old boy who went missing on Tar River

FRANKLINTON, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Franklin County family held a balloon release for 7-year-old Ronald Brodie Jr, whose body was found after a week-long search in the Tar River.

Brodie's family will forever remember him as a joyful boy.

"He was a happy baby, and his smile was so beautiful and captivating. It was amazing," said Connie Manson, Maternal Grandmother.

After searchers found his body on Tuesday, his family and the community are grieving, holding close to each other as they prepare to honor his life.

"We thank God that they do have closure now. It's still going to be hard," said Shirbartis Alson, family spokesperson.

"My daughter is... she's an amazing girl. She's an amazing girl. I give her 100%. She's an amazing girl and I love them dearly. So she's doing everything that she can to keep herself and her daughter going," said Manson.

Brodie went missing more than a week ago after he was playing with his sister and a neighbor. The family said Brodie did not know how to swim and that his sister tried to save him.

"He was a happy baby, and his smile was so beautiful and captivating."

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Multiple crews worked days using sonar, underwater drones, and aerial drones to try and find the boy.

Swift water rescue crews train at Falls Lake to handle situations when people or children go missing on open waters.

The Franklin Fire Department told ABC11 they found Brodie 100-200 feet downstream from where he was last seen.

In the wake of the tragedy, the fire department shared a desperate warning.

"Open water is very dangerous for many different reasons. You have currents. You also don't know what's underneath the water, for that matter, if you can get snagged on things," said Daniel Gregory, Wake Forest Fire Department.

Experts recommend that an adult should always be present when children are around water, get CPR trained, and wear a life vest. They also recommend, in an emergency, reach out to a victim with an object, throw a life vest, call for help, and tell the person to float on their back towards the shore with their legs up.