Civilian Kayaker Finds Missing Kyrin Carter Monday
On Friday, May 21st, in coordination with the Hammond City Engineer, the Indiana Dept. of Transportation, Hasse Construction, and the Little Calumet River Basin Commissioner, the decision was made to temporarily stop the flow of water into the Little Calumet River in an attempt to get as deep into the river as possible to search for Kyrin Carter, Hammond Police Lt. Steve Kellogg said.
On May 24th, at approximately 8:15 p.m., a local volunteer kayaker named Eric Smith and myself (Paul Goddard) notified police that Smith located what he believed to be a body in the Little Calumet River. It was approximately 8PM and Eric decided he wanted to make one last pass of the river area where he and myself had been concentrating on all week. We had focused on this area after learning Kyrin had ran down to the river the previous day and hurt is feet on the rocks on the bank before he was brought back inside. Thinking that he wouldn’t want to do that again I went to the end of the rock bed where a small trail in the weeds leading to the water was. This is also the location where surveillance video last showed Kyrin. We were at this location Sunday with a trained rescue vet that went into the water to see the condition of the mud and steep incline dropping to 8FT depth. After learning this along with all the information the last 8 days and being with the family it became a focus point for myself. I walked along the shoreline while Eric scanned the river one last time before darkness set in and at exactly 8:12PM Monday Eric whistled to me to come closer. Smith alerted myself to his discovery. I immediately contacted 911, The Hammond Fire Chief, and Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr who arrived quickly to the scene.
Officers arrived and located what appeared to a body located approximately 100 yards west of the Best Western. A drone was sent up to get a better view above the river using a spotlight and it was confirmed to be a body at that point. The body was retrieved by divers and positively identified as 12-year-old Kyrin Carter.
Hammond Police want to thank everyone for all of their efforts over this last week including the hundreds of volunteers and the countless emergency services personnel who have donated their time to the search. “This has been a very trying case for the volunteers, for law enforcement personnel searching every day, but most importantly for the family of Kyrin Carter,” Kellogg said.
“Today’s outcome is not the one we had hoped but it is the one we feared,” Kellogg said. At this time, officials ask that everyone allow the family their time to grieve. Police hope that this can bring some closure to them and the community.
