Tragic End to Search: Missing 7-Year-Old Serenity Kinsey Found in Douglas Lake

DANDRIDGE, Tenn. (WATE) – The hours-lengthy look for a lacking Jefferson County child came to a sad quit Thursday morning while the body of seven year old Serenity Kinsey was located in Douglas Lake. She had not been visible for the reason that 1:00 a.m. Before her body turned into determined.

Crews from a couple of counties quick mobilized as quickly as the call came in for a lacking character near the lake. There became suspicion she had headed for the water, in which she turned into in the long run determined at 11:18 a.m.

“The preliminary responding deputies, one in all them changed into a K-9 officer, and it in reality made a song all the way down to the water,” Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Coffey stated. “That turned into one among our suspicions that she had gone to the water, as she had accomplished that in the past while she had wandered off. It was one among our fears, and regrettably, it have become a truth.”

Law enforcement companies, at the side of numerous seek and rescue teams, rushed to Indian Creek Road and the region surrounding Douglas Lake. Coffey expressed his gratitude for the overwhelming aid.

“I addressed them a little while in the past, and they’re all volunteers,” Coffey stated. “It’s the Fourth of July; that they had all varieties of plans today, however they dropped everything they had been doing with their families to come right here and assist. We cannot say sufficient approximately the volunteers in our network right here in Jefferson County and the encircling counties. Without them, we could not have carried out it on our personal.”

According to the sheriff’s office, the child had wandered all the way down to the lake before but became observed quick in the ones incidents. Unfortunately, latest search led to tragedy.

Family members declined to comment. The sheriff’s workplace published on social media Thursday afternoon, sending their condolences and prayers to Serenity’s circle of relatives throughout this hard time.