Accident Database

Report ID# 114726

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Accident Description

LOCAL NEWS WTHR Indianapolis, IN

Second search for teenager believed lost in White River near downtown halted

Divers with the Indianapolis Fire Department returned to the river Wednesday to search for the missing 17-year-old boy.

Author: WTHR.com staff

March 30, 2021

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Fire Department crews and other agencies have again paused the search for a teenage boy who is believed to be in the White River near downtown. Divers with the Indianapolis Fire Department began searching for the boy around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday after receiving several calls to 911 about an overturned boat. Firefighters say the teen was in a canoe with a 45-year-old male, later identified as Carlos Rameriz, and a dog when they panicked near a dam and jumped from the boat, which then overturned. The adult and the dog got out of the water, but the boy, 17-year-old Kevin Rodriguez, has yet to be located.

Divers were searching the area of the river roughly between West 10th Street and West 16th Street for about two hours Tuesday night. The search also included the river banks between New York Street and West Washington Street south of where the boy was last seen. They eventually were forced to call off the search for the teenager due to darkness and resumed searching Wednesday morning.

Several witnesses called 911 to report the overturned boat and teenage boy still in the water.

Crews searched on foot, in boats and in the air with drones, but were unable to locate Rodriguez Wednesday. The search was again halted due to darkness Wednesday evening. Firefighters ask anyone who may have seen Rodriguez leaving the water or in the area where he went missing to contact DNR Law Enforcement Central Dispatch at 812-837-9536.

Kevin Rodriguez, 17, was last seen in the White River after his canoe overturned near W. 16th Street on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. IFD said divers made the decision to go into the water Tuesday evening despite swift currents that were more than double the speed that usually keep divers out of the water. The decision was made to enter the water based on witness reports and the victims who were discovered out of the water.

The adult who was in the boat was taken to the hospital to be treated for possible hypothermia and for having apparently taken in a large amount of water. His condition is not known. The dog is said to be OK.

 

Authorities recover body of 17-year-old who fell from canoe on White River

by: Josh Doering, Julie Dow and Gregg Montgomery

Posted: Mar 30, 2021 / 09:25 PM EST / Updated: Apr 7, 2021 / 10:50 PM EST

LATEST: The body of 17-year-old Kevin Rodriguez was recovered from the White River by Indiana Conservation Officers at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday near the location where he was last seen. Authorities are awaiting autopsy results to determine the exact cause of death.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH-TV) — The search will resume Thursday for a teenager who disappeared Tuesday night in the White River after the canoe he and his roommate were in went over a dam.

Indiana conservation officers said Wednesday that they have joined the search for Kevin Rodriguez, 17, who went missing near the Emrichsville Dam; that’s south of the 16th Street bridge. Authorities said Wednesday that Rodriguez is not 16 years old, as they’d first reported.

Conservation officers and Indianapolis Fire Department on Wednesday searched upstream and downstream of the area he was last spotted. Searches were done by foot on share, by boat on the water, and by drone from the air. Search operations were suspended Wednesday evening and will resume Thursday morning.

Crews were called around 7:25 p.m. Tuesday to the White River between the 10th Street and 16th Street bridges. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said Carlos Ramirez, 45, and Rodriguez were at the river working on a canoe when they were swept over the dam, causing the canoe to capsize. Neither wore a life jacket.

Rita Reith, battalion chief with the Indianapolis Fire Department, said Tuesday that Rodriguez and Ramirez — who were roommates — were in a silver canoe with their dog heading toward the dam. As they realized they were going to go over the dam, Ramirez yelled to jump. As the two roommates did, the canoe overturned, sending them all into the water.

Ramirez got to the west bank of the river and got out of the water. He was suffering from signs of hypothermia and appeared to have taken in a larger amount of water. He was located at 7:42 p.m. Tuesday and taken to Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Hospital. Reith said he was in good condition.

Witnesses helped Ramirez to shore, the DNR said. Rodriguez was last seen by witnesses floating down the river. The dog swam to the east bank and was unharmed, Reith said.

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