Indiana police recovered the body of college-bound football star Matthew Morey after he and three friends jumped into a flooded river during deadly Midwest storms.
Morey, 19, of Albany, had been the sole person still missing after the group leapt from an iron bridge into the rain-swollen Mississinewa River near Muncie on Wednesday evening, according to the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office. The other three young men were found and removed from the water fairly quickly by emergency responders, but dangerous flooding conditions hampered search efforts for Morey until his body was located Saturday morning, reportedly within 200 yards of the bridge.
“There are no words that can ease the pain of losing a child,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement following the recovery. “Our hearts are with Matthew’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved him.”
Chief Deputy Jeff Stanley of the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department said search efforts had involved boats, drones, a helicopter, K9 teams, and volunteers walking the riverbanks. “We are extremely grateful for the long hours, dedication, professionalism and cooperation showed by everyone involved,” he added. “From the beginning, we made a commitment to Matthew’s family that we would not give up until they had answers. Today, that search has come to an end.”
Morey’s mother, Angie Morey, had held onto hope through the agonizing wait, speaking to NBC News the day before her son’s body was found while the search remained suspended due to continued flooding.
“I’m hurt and I need some help, and so we’re not there and I can’t get there,” the crying mother told the network. “I can’t get to him because there’s no — I can’t get in a boat. If I had a boat, I swear to God I’d be in that water.”
She continued, “And my hope is that he’s still alive.”
On Friday evening, a prayer vigil for Morey was held at Center Chapel, where Pastor Jeff Hughes addressed the gathered community. “We are here because Matthew matters to us, and a young life matters,” Hughes said. “A family matters. A school matters. A community matters. And right now, we are carrying something very heavy that is incredibly difficult, that no one should carry alone.”
Morey was among at least six people killed in the severe flooding that swept across Indiana in recent days. Along with the 19-year-old, authorities confirmed a four-year-old boy in Jennings County was killed when a tree fell on his home, and 59-year-old Stephanie Sallee of Muncie was found dead in a cornfield after her vehicle was swept from the road by floodwaters. A 58-year-old woman in Delaware County was also among the dead, according to state officials.
The amount of rainfall in Delaware County beginning Tuesday night has reportedly exceeded all local records, with Chief Deputy Stanley noting that rising water levels and increasingly dangerous conditions had prevented immediate recovery efforts. More than a dozen counties have declared disaster emergencies, with much of the damage concentrated around rivers in Hamilton County north of Indianapolis.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett described the situation as the most severe flooding the city has experienced in more than 30 years, with hundreds of homes evacuated and the Indianapolis Fire Department conducting 50 water rescues that helped evacuate 91 residents and 45 pets. In Noblesville, north of Indianapolis, the White River broke a more than century-old record, cresting at 24.6 feet after the previous 1913 record of 23.8 feet, according to Mayor Chris Jensen.
President Trump approved an emergency declaration for the state, with federal disaster assistance available to the affected areas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Saturday. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun had earlier declared a state of emergency and said he spoke with the president about “the severe storms and historic flooding impacting Indiana.”
Delaware County Coroner Gavin Greene said an autopsy would be conducted Sunday at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital. It remains unclear why Morey and the three others who were rescued had jumped into the raging waters.
In the viral moment that preceded the tragedy, Morey and three friends had jumped from the iron bridge along Gregory Road northwest of Albany into the Mississinewa River at approximately 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, as heavy rains continued to pound East Central Indiana. Emergency responders were called to the scene and the other three young men were fairly quickly found and removed from the river, but Morey was not found. Efforts to search for him that night and on Thursday and Friday were hampered by rising water levels and increasingly dangerous conditions until the search resumed Saturday and his body was recovered.
Morey, a Delta High School graduate, had planned to leave this weekend to attend Purdue University in the fall.