The body of a 7-year-old North Carolina boy, missing since last week, was found Tuesday afternoon in a Franklin County river, officials said.

On Tuesday, officials confirmed that crews recovered the body of Ronald Brodie Jr., CBS 17 reports.

Ronald was last seen on March 17 in the Tar River, near Hodges Road, located between Louisburg and Franklinton. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation reported that Ronald was a resident of Louisburg.

According to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, crews discovered Ronald around 1 p.m. after K9 Fiji from the Nash County Sheriff’s Office guided them to a rocky, partially submerged cave near the spot where he went under water.

Family members said Ronald was playing along the river in the late afternoon with his 13-year-old sister and another teen girl, all under adult supervision, when he fell into the water.

“While the outcome is not at all what we prayed for, I am beyond grateful to the folks at Franklin County Emergency Management Services, our local fire rescue professionals, and our partners in law enforcement for working so hard to assist our team in bringing closure to Ronald’s tremendously strong family,” Franklin County Sheriff Kevin White said.

A balloon release is scheduled for Wednesday evening in Ronald’s honor.

Check back for updates.

[Feature Photo: Rinald Brodie/Handout]