FRANKLIN COUNTY, N.C. (WRAL) – Ronald Brodie Jr. carried the biggest smile and was a typical 7-year-old who did what young boys do. They laugh and play.
“He was just the sweetest little boy,” Ronald’s cousin remembered. “My little cousin was something you could just play with all the time.”
Eight days ago, North Carolina search teams were looking for Ronald after he was playing with teenagers in the Tar River.
Two fell in, but only one came out. Ronald didn’t.
Eight days later, the 7-year-old’s body was found.
“How’s the family coping? I mean, it’s a hard pill to lose anyone. It’s extremely hard when you lose a child, and right now, it is extremely hard,” the cousin added. “It’s extremely hard.”
Since March 17, dive teams, swift water rescue crews, K-9s and multiple agencies searched 11 miles of the Tar River and its shorelines, totaling more than 100 hours.
One searcher described the river’s conditions.
“On the Tar River, there was a lot of timber. There’s a lot of big rocks. There’s a lot of mud, so the bottom of the river is very soft,” Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jack Thorpe said. “If you were to walk in it right now, you would sink.”
The family is now focused on honoring Ronald.
On Wednesday, they scheduled a vigil at 6 p.m. on Hodges Road, which sits near the river. It’s open to the public. They will use the gathering to remember Ronald’s smile and thank those who were involved in the search.
“It’s not about me right now. It’s about Ronald Jr. and celebrating his life. We thank God for the support team,” Ronald’s cousin added.
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