Found Deceased IN - Mitchell O'Banion, 17 mos, Whitewater River, 1 June 2011

[MsFacetious]

http://www.wlwt.com/r/28115666/detail.html The family is from Independence and Mitchell is one of four children.

Okay, this is really bothering me. There are three other children in this family? At least two of them would have to be older than Mitchell. Why was only 17-month old Mitchell taken on the kayak trip?

I am guessing by "4 children" they are counting half siblings. I don't think these parents have 4 children together. So the other 3 may not have been there for visitation.

This child has at least one older half brother, according to a comment on the below article.

I will paraphrase her comments because the comments on this article do not always load for me, aggravating.

These comments are from June 3, 2011 around 8pm EST.

http://www.wlwt.com/news/28106147/detail.html#COMMENTTOP

Someone says she is the mother of Mitchell's half brother.

She says they took all the kids kayaking, took her son kayaking last Monday.

They usually went on a lake not a river.

They bought the kayak because they love being outdoors but they were not experienced at kayaking.

Some people just have the mentality that nothing bad will happen and don't think about the things that could.

She is sure their intention was to have a nice day in nature with their son and it just went horribly wrong.

 

[MsFacetious]

Indiana Conservation Officers say that "there are currently no indications that this has been anything but a tragic accident."

On Friday night, Investigators found a diaper that was the same size and brand that the toddler was wearing.

Rescuers looking for the child are stationed at different points along the river in case the child pops up.

Volunteers helping with the search found articles of clothing and a camera with pictures on it Thursday evening, they turned those items into investigators.

http://www.local12.com/news/local/s...ed-To-Be-Toddlers/Y5zkXViGdEqb0NkGvG6yEg.cspx

 

[blazelet]

This was the 911 call I was given by one of our news producers at FOX59 :

CALLER: “Our boat tipped and my 17 month old baby hit it and we can’t find him.”
DISPATCHER “Okay, you cannot find the baby?”
CALLER: “I cannot find my son, no. I don’t know where he is. I figured the water would bring him back up but we can’t find him.”

Not sure what it means that they are searching the home ...

 

[Daisyjane]

BODY FOUND - They believe it's Mitchell

http://www.wlwt.com/news/28132243/detail.html

NEW TRENTON, Ind. -- Search teams looking for a missing child on the Whitewater River in Franklin County, Ind,. said they have discovered a body. The body has not been officially identified, but crews said they believe it is the body of Mitchell O'banion. The 17-month-old boy was with his mother and her boyfriend on a float trip on the river when he fell out of a canoe. A four-day search began immediately.

Crews said they found a diaper, a camera and a piece of clothing believed to belong to Obanion. The family released a statement late Saturday afternoon: “Our family would like to extend their gratitude to everyone who is working to find Mitchell. Words cannot express how thankful we are to all the agencies working to bring Mitchell home to us, the conservation officers, police officers, fire and EMS responders, and the many volunteers," the statement said.

"To our family and friends and co-workers, we thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and concerns. We extend our gratefulness to the community for your support and prayers. During this devastating time, we would like to thank you for allowing us to have our privacy while we are grieving.” http://www.wlwt.com/news/28132243/detail.html#ixzz1OLYravwI

 

[Janeumayer]

This was the 911 call I was given by one of our news producers at FOX59 :



Not sure what it means that they are searching the home ...

Very weird phrasing: the baby "hit it"? He hit the kayak or the river? Do you know the context before this sentence? Thanks so much for your info.

 

[Janeumayer]

So very sad. God Bless You Mitchell.

 

[blazelet]

Sorry thats all I was given. I could ask for more info on Monday, get the whole call.

Such a sad ending.

 

[Salem]

If someone will hit the alert, after it is confirmed that this is little Mitchell, we will move this to the located forum.

Thanks and lots of prayers for this baby, may he fly high with the angels.

Salem

 

[Shelby2]

http://www.wibc.com/news/Story.aspx?id=1436058

The Department of Natural Resources confirms a volunteer searching for a toddler who fell into the Whitewater River in southeastern Indiana Wednesday located his body.

The DNR's William Browne says the 17-month-old Mitchell O'Banion was located about two miles downstream from where his parents' canoe tipped over on Wednesday.

Noot sure where the 'alert' is?

 

[marycarney]

http://www.fox19.com/story/14840056/body-of-missing-toddler-found-in

still not convinced there's not more to this story.....

poor little guy

 

[Janeumayer]

Such an adorable boy.

 

[cluciano63]

I am sorry for their loss...but this was a preventable tragedy. Look at all of the things parents do to protect their kids in their own homes and yards on a daily basis...and then to take such a youngster out on a kayak? I am just not understanding this at all...it is tragic enough when a child drowns in a tub or a pool due to a moment's laspe..

 

[KAE]

I am sorry for their loss...but this was a preventable tragedy. Look at all of the things parents do to protect their kids in their own homes and yards on a daily basis...and then to take such a youngster out on a kayak? I am just not understanding this at all...it is tragic enough when a child drowns in a tub or a pool due to a moment's laspe..

I agree - completely preventable.
Some of it can be attributed to the parents inexperience, but they had a professional assisting them.
I only hope that this company's policy regarding minors will be changed (voluntarily or legally) to prevent this type of tragedy from happening again.

So sad. I knew I was going to hate this story and I promised myself I wasn't going to read it.
My thoughts and prayers go to the family of little Mitchell.

 

[BrownRice]

I agree - completely preventable.
Some of it can be attributed to the parents inexperience, but they had a professional assisting them.

ALL of this was preventable. As a parent, especially a MOTHER, your number one priority is to make sure your child is safe. As a result, all day long (and everywhere you are) you scan your environment and make a (neurotic - as my husband accuses me) list of potential hazards and make sure your child is safe. Even if the "professionals" assisting them said it was safe, you don't take their word for it.

And let's say you are from another planet and think kayaking is safe for a toddler (a far far away planet where people don't think with their brains), a responsible parent would ENSURE the flotation/life-saving device attached to their child was secured properly. They would pull it, buckle it, yank it, etc. 10x to make sure.

This story just enrages me.

 

[angela]

I agree - completely preventable.
Some of it can be attributed to the parents inexperience, but they had a professional assisting them.
I only hope that this company's policy regarding minors will be changed (voluntarily or legally) to prevent this type of tragedy from happening again.

So sad. I knew I was going to hate this story and I promised myself I wasn't going to read it.
My thoughts and prayers go to the family of little Mitchell.

I have canoed many times with Morgan's. They do not go with you. The company transports you by bus and picks you up. You also rent the canoes, kayaks and paddles there. This family had thier own kayak so Morgan's would have only been responsible for picking them up at the end of the trip and getting them back to thier car. When I have done it, I was not asked how old everyone on the trip was. I doubt they even knew there was a baby on that kayak.
I have had our canoe flip many times and when the river is up, it is scary. This story really gets to me.

 

[maggieo]

This is completely nuts! Kayaks are designed for flipping over -- so that if you flip over you can right yourself. I mean, where would you even put a baby?? They don't come with baby seats -- babies don't just sit nicely on a seat, and you can't hold him because both your hands are holding the oar! Logistically I just don't see it.

AND the river was flooded?!

I find it hard to believe even the most "easy going" people in the world would think this was even marginally okay.

 

[marycarney]

No charges for parents.

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/indiana/no-charges-for-parents-of-drowned-boy

 

[Adrienne B.]

who takes a little baby in a kayak? kayaks are tippy and prone to rolling.

That little boy was my part of my life and he is my baby cousin by blood and I don't appreciate you talking bad about my uncle