6 Members of Haiti’s Special Olympics Delegation Go Missing in Florida: Police

6 Members of Haiti’s Special Olympics Delegation Go Missing in Florida: Police
(L–R) top row: Antione Mithon, Nicholson Fontilus, and Peter Berlus. (L–R) bottom row: Anderson Petit-Frere, Steevenson Jacquet and Oriol Jean. (Osceola County Sheriff's Office)
Mimi Nguyen Ly
6/8/2022
Updated:
6/8/2022
0:00

Six members of Haiti’s Special Olympics delegation mysteriously went missing just a day into the 2022 event in Orlando, Florida, according to local law enforcement.

In an announcement, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said that officers are “actively investigating a missing person’s case involving members of the Haitian delegation participating in the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games.”

“We are in communication with Walt Disney World, Special Olympics, and our Law Enforcement and Federal partners,” the sheriff’s office stated. “At this time, we believe this is an isolated event and do not suspect foul play.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.

In an attached missing persons bulletin, the sheriff’s office said that all of the members had turned in their room keys and “left behind their personal bags and belongings.”

All of them are adults, aged between 18 and 32. They are Antione Mithon, 32, Nicholson Fontilus, 20, Peter Berlus, 19, Anderson Petit-Frere, 18, Steevenson Jacquet, 24, and Oriol Jean, 18. The bulletin said they are “in the United States competing in a soccer competition from Haiti.”

The bulletin states that they were last seen at 710 S Victory Way, in Kissimmee, Florida, on June 6, 2022 at about 2:30 p.m. local time. Kissimmee is south of Orlando.

“The individuals are all adults, five of whom are not Special Olympics athletes and one who is an adult with intellectual disability,” the Special Olympics said in a statement to CNN.

“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. To expand the reach and effectiveness of law enforcement’s efforts to locate these individuals, they have been reported as missing persons.”

Petit-Frere recently introduced himself as one of the soccer players on Team Haiti.

“My name is Anderson Petit-Frere, I am from Port-au-Prince and I am 18 years old,” he wrote on the Special Olympics Haiti’s Instagram account at the start of the games.

The games run from June 5 through June 12.

“The 2022 Special Olympics USA Games will unite more than 5,500 athletes and coaches from all 50 states and the Caribbean and 125,000 spectators during one of the country’s most cherished sporting events,” organizers said.