Body Found In Little Calumet River Identified As Missing 12-Year-Old Kyrin Carter
CHICAGO (CBS)-- A body found in the Little Calumet River on Monday evening has been identified as 12-year-old Kyrin Carter, who went missing last week in Hammond, Indiana, the Lake County Coroner's Officer confirmed.
A dive team removed the body from the Little Calumet River just 300 feet west of where 12-year-old Kyrin Carer, was last seen at a Best Western Hotel in Hammond.
Officials said the teen's body was found around 8:15 p.m. Monday by volunteer kayaker Eric Smith, who was involved in the search for the missing teen. Smith spent five hours Monday searching the river during the nine day search.
"It was happiness that I found him and I could give the family closure, but then finding his body it hit me hard, I wasn't ready for it," Smith told CBS 2.
On Friday, local agencies temporarily stopped the flow of water into the Little Calumet River in an attempt to get as deep into the river as possible to search for Carter.
Carter, who has autism, was last seen around 12:30 p.m. May 15 at the Best Western Hotel near 179th Street and Cline Avenue.
Hammond police confirmed surveillance video showed Carter running toward the water multiple times.
"It's a tragic ending to the story," police said.
His family is in town from Kansas City, Missouri to visit family. Authorities utilized every resource including K9s, drones, helicopters, ATV's, and ground and water crews.
Hundreds of volunteers have been involved in the search.