Found Deceased NC - Keenan Little, 34, seen asking for help, Broad River Greenway, Cleveland Co., 16 Mar 2019

[GuyfromCanada]

BOILING SPRINGS, NC (WBTV) - Officials are searching for a 34-year-old man who went missing in Boiling Springs Saturday afternoon.

According to officials and family, 34-year-old Keenan Little was last seen around 1:40 p.m. Saturday near the Broad River at the Broad River Greenway.

Rescue crews found clothing and some personal items on a rock near the river and footprints leading into the water.

Family members say Little works for the United States Postal Service and is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. The family also says they spoke to two witnesses who saw Little in the river asking for help. According to the family, those witnesses tried to jump in to reach Little but could not.

According to the Boiling Springs Police Department, search teams, including Boiling Springs Fire and Rescue and Henderson County Rescue, have been looking all day but have suspended the search due to darkness.

Officials say the search will resume in the morning.

Search underway for 34-year-old man reported missing near river in Boiling Springs

Broad River Greenway website Broad River Greenway

 

[Laura456]

BOILING SPRINGS, NC (WBTV) - Officials are searching for a 34-year-old man who went missing in Boiling Springs Saturday afternoon.

According to officials and family, 34-year-old Keenan Little was last seen around 1:40 p.m. Saturday near the Broad River at the Broad River Greenway.

Rescue crews found clothing and some personal items on a rock near the river and footprints leading into the water.

Family members say Little works for the United States Postal Service and is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. The family also says they spoke to two witnesses who saw Little in the river asking for help. According to the family, those witnesses tried to jump in to reach Little but could not.

According to the Boiling Springs Police Department, search teams, including Boiling Springs Fire and Rescue and Henderson County Rescue, have been looking all day but have suspended the search due to darkness.

Officials say the search will resume in the morning.

Search underway for 34-year-old man reported missing near river in Boiling Springs

Broad River Greenway website Broad River Greenway

So...did the witnesses just peace out and left him struggling in the river?

 

[GuyfromCanada]

Isn't it a bit cold still to go swimming in March in NC?

 

[Laura456]

Isn't it a bit cold still to go swimming in March in NC?

polar bear plunge?

 

[MimosaMornings]

Broad River Greenway

 

[MimosaMornings]

Isn't it a bit cold still to go swimming in March in NC?

Yes!

 

[LadyL]

so sad

 

[PeriwinkleE]

That’s two days people in two days walking into the water like that.

OR - OR - Maya Sanders, 29, scarf located on Riverwalk, Astoria, 12 Mar 2019 *disabilities, in danger*

Sorry I haven’t figured out how to make pretty links on this site.

 

[Laughing]

Any more insight?

Naval Academy graduate? Did this gentleman feel he was, under-employed, suffer from depression?

Try to get something out of the river?

Sailor, figured he could swim in the cold current?

So many questions, starting with where are you?

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

This is absolutely heartbreaking.

“CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. - Authorities in Boiling Springs are back on the water searching for a fisherman who was swept away in the Broad River Saturday afternoon.

Cleveland County Emergency Management said sometime around 1:15 p.m., people saw 34-year-old Keenan Little go underwater at the Broad River Greenway.

[SBM]

Authorities said they found one article of clothing along the banks of the river. The water is very cold this time of year and rescue crews said they aren't sure why he waded into the river.

Highway Patrol is searching for Little by helicopter and dive teams are in the water using sonar equipment to search the river bottom.

[SBM]

Boiling Springs Police Chief Nathan Phillips told Channel 9, they are now considering the search a recovery effort, meaning they do not expect to find Little alive.

Authorities said they will continue to search until sundown Sunday and will then return Monday morning.

Concerned family members showed Eyewitness News Anchor Kristin Leigh photos of Little.

Little's mother Barbara Little said he was a great student and football player. She wore Keenan's letterman jacket from Crest High School to the search on Sunday.

His family said he is a graduate of the U.S. Naval academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 2007, but his career came with a cost.

‘He received multiple concussions, and he was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury,’ Barbara said. " I still have hope. I have my moments. As a Christian, I don't give up.’

Little's family is gathering for prayer at the fire station in Boiling Springs at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. They said they are hoping for the best, but are prepared for the worst.

Family members told Channel 9's Kristin Leigh he liked to come to the riverfront for peace and quiet, as a place where he could rest his mind.

[SBM]” (BBM)
SEARCH FOR MISSING FISHERMAN: Desperate search underway for fisherman reported missing near Cleveland Co. river

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

“7/2/2003 - Football
Naval Academy Announces 2003 Football Recruits

ANNAPOLIS, Md.-Navy head football coach Paul Johnson announced the names of the 2003 Navy recruits Wednesday. The fifty-seven prospects went through induction ceremonies Tuesday and began plebe summer this morning.

[SBM]

NAVY FOOTBALL CLASS OF 2007
[SBM]

Keenan Little DB 6-0 185 Boiling Springs, N.C.

[SBM]”
Naval Academy Announces 2003 Football Recruits - Naval Academy Athletics

“8/15/2003 - Football
Transcript Of Cornerback Keenan Little's Press Conference

Q. I know you were pretty highly touted coming out of high school, number one who else was looking at you and number two what led you to choose Navy.

A. The other schools recruiting me were Clemson, Wake Forest and Duke. I had verbally committed to Wake Forest at first, but then I came up here on an official visit the next weekend and I changed my mind. The two things that changed my mind was Coach Green showed me some stuff that he planned on doing to help turn this thing around and also the aerospace engineering program.

Q. It had to be a difficult decision when you know you could go and play for a pretty good Division I school as a civilian and not have to go through all the stuff you have to go through here. Did that weigh heavy on your mind or did you just decide that the education was more important?

A. Yes sir. I looked at the education and where I wanted to be after school. I want to have my life set and that's why I chose Navy.

[SBM]”
Transcript Of Cornerback Keenan Little's Press Conference - Naval Academy Athletics

“For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 2, 2007

President Bush Presents the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy to the United States Naval Academy Football Team

Rose Garden
2:35 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Welcome to the Rose Garden. It seems to me that this is becoming a spring tradition. (Laughter and applause.) For the fourth year in a row, the football team from the Naval Academy is here to receive the Commander-in-Chief Trophy -- the Rose Garden shall be called ‘the yard.’ (Applause.)

[SBM]

I appreciate the fact that Keenan Little became the first player in Navy history to score defensive touchdowns against Air Force and Army in the same season.

[SBM]” (BBM)
President Bush Presents the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy to the United States Naval Academy Football Team

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 19, 2019
Search continues for Boiling Springs man
After more than 30 hours of searching, emergency workers are still looking for any trace of a man that disappeared underwater along the Broad River Greenway Saturday.

Boiling Springs Police Chief Nathan Phillips and crews of emergency workers were out again at 8 a.m. Monday to continue the recovery process of 34-year-old Keenan Little who was last seen walking into the Broad River before he slipped under and never resurfaced.

“We’ve pulled resources from all over,” Phillips said.

Emergency workers from Henderson and Cleveland counties have been out on boats, using sonar, drones and helicopters, looking for any signs of the man.

The trail system along the river is closed for the foreseeable future.

The search continued on Monday near the fishing pier on the Boiling Springs trail. Workers ended another day of searching around 5 p.m. with no answers of where Little went.

[...]

On Sunday, Little’s family was told that the search was now a recovery.

Barbara Little, his mother, is still holding on to hope that he is out there alive.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 20, 2019
Man still missing 5 days after going into Broad River
[...]

“I know he’s a great swimmer and went through all those tests in the Navy. He was trained to be in that type of water. If anyone can get out of it, he could,” Chris Little said.

The devoted father has been conducting his own expedition as emergency workers search the land and water for the missing man.

Officials brought in a cadaver dog Wednesday, having determined two days ago that they didn’t think Keenan Little was alive, but his family continues to have hope.

Something went wrong

Keenan Little often walked the trails at the Broad River Greenway. It was his place of peace, his place to clear his mind, his place to connect with God.

“He just went down there to spend his time with the Lord and sit down and pray,” his father said.

It was not typical for him to get into cold, swift-moving water in March, but that’s exactly what witnesses say happened.

[...]

‘The ultimate goal’

Crews from Shelby Police, Boiling Springs Fire and Charlotte Fire departments have participated in the search which has spanned over a mile and a half in the water and a wide amount of land covered on foot and by drone, according to Cleveland County Emergency Manager Perry Davis.

At least 30 to 40 people each day have worked to find Keenan Little.

[...]

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

Posted at 9:00 AM
Updated at 9:00 AM

“[SBM]

After nine days and hundreds of man-hours, the search continues for the 34-year-old man who was last seen walking into the Broad River before being swept away by the current.

Boiling Springs Police Chief Nathan Phillips and investigators are still unsure of why Little went into the 50-degree water on Saturday, March 16, but one thing they do know is that no foul play was involved.

‘From witness statements, he took off an article of clothing and left his cell phone on the bank before going in,’ he said.

It was not typical for him to get into swift-moving water in March, but that’s exactly what five witnesses say happened.

Just after 1:30 p.m., two different calls came into 911 reporting a man had gone under and not resurfaced. Those who saw it were not able to get to him, police say.

[SBM]

[Keenan] Little’s father, Chris, started his own search on the South Carolina side of the river when the trail system at the Greenway was still shut down to the public. On Thursday the Greenway was reopened and more friends and family have made their way to the water in hopes of finding him, Phillips said.

[SBM]

Police ask anyone going out to the Greenway to keep an eye out for Little.

‘If anyone sees anything, go to the ranger station or call 911,’ Phillips said.” (BBM)
Recovery efforts continue on Broad River Greenway

I’m very thankful that they haven’t given up on finding Keenan.

 

[yrmfp]

His body was finally located.

Body of Keenan Little found in Broad River

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

His body was finally located.

Body of Keenan Little found in Broad River

Thank you so much for posting. I just couldn’t stop thinking about Keenan for the last two weeks.

I am so grateful for the person who found him, and all of those who never stopped searching. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy task; according to the article, he was found about two and a half miles from where he entered the water.

My deepest condolences to his family and friends.

I hope that Keenan is at peace.

 

[doodles1211]

Any more insight?

Naval Academy graduate? Did this gentleman feel he was, under-employed, suffer from depression?

Try to get something out of the river?

Sailor, figured he could swim in the cold current?

So many questions, starting with where are you?

So, very many questions for sure!
I thought that part of Navy boot camp consisted of swimming, as well. So, likely, he would be a stronger swimmer than usual?? IMO. I wonder if there wasn't something on board that not only incapacitated his rationale, but his mobility as well?

 

[sallye818]

So sad. Rest easy, sailor.

 

[Laughing]

Fair winds & following seas, Mr. Little.