Brian and Lindsy – residents of San Miguel, returned to the edge of the Salinas River on Saturday, with a trunk full of shovels and a chainsaw, to search for their beloved 5-year-old son who remains missing. This task is overwhelming.
However, the sheriff’s teams found one of Kyle’s footwear, while the search operations commenced. In search of a glimpse of crimson from the lining of Kyle’s deep blue puffer jacket, or vibrant yellow from the emblem on his Nike athletic shoe, they intended to trek across the river to an expansive sandbar and dismantle clusters of intertwined branches, just like they did the previous weekend.
She is attempting to be practical, ensuring his safety, and still holds a secret hope that a homeless person may have rescued him from the river on the morning of January 9th, while his mother keeps him secure. Kyle is still classified as missing, as his body has never been found since. The epic storms in January caused floods, storm surges, fallen trees, mudslides, and resulted in the death of 21 people across California. It has been seven weeks since Kyle was swept away from his mother’s arms after their Chevy Traverse SUV was caught in floodwaters on the way to school.
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She needs to be cautious when she starts digging with a shovel, considering she does it almost every weekend. She ponders if his body could have been preserved by the freezing waters, concealed beneath the sand.
She stated, “Essentially, we’re removing the sand and dirt.” “We attempted to execute it at a low depth, to ensure that if there is any object below, it doesn’t cause harm or inflict damage upon him.”
She must locate him. She’s pleading for assistance.
The disappearance of the brown-eyed boy, Kyle, after days, caused anguish for both Governor Newsom and President Biden. In the early weeks, hundreds of emergency crews from surrounding sheriff’s departments and the California National Guard joined the search, using dive teams, cadaver dogs, aerial drones, helicopters, and underwater sonar devices.
“We won’t give up until we find Kyle,” Newsom said during one news conference. “And hopefully, miracle of miracles, he’ll be OK.”.
Kyle’s parents are currently questioning whether those were merely hollow statements.
She exclaimed, “he could possibly be in the Monterey Bay by now,” expressing concern that continued searches might be pointless, after a member of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s department advised Lindsy that it was not beneficial.
She mentioned that individuals who journey extended distances are given fuel vouchers and meals, while funds contributed to a gofundme account are utilized to lease excavation machinery. Over the course of three weeks, only family members and select groups of volunteers have been actively engaged in the search for Kyle.
“Now,” Brian Doan stated regarding the authorities, “they classified Kyle as an unsolved case, similar to the sentiment we experience.” “They no longer appear willing to promptly respond to our texts or calls. They are not being forthcoming anymore.”
Last week, Sheriff Ian Parkinson of San Luis Obispo County and Governor Newsom exchanged another letter, in which Lindsy expressed her boiling frustration.
In the Wednesday letter, Lindsy penned, “But once more I inquire. If it were your offspring, when would you surrender?”. “It has been justifications….’We’re anticipating the rise in temperature. The water ought to retreat further. It’s excessively chilly for the canines to emerge.’ I comprehend. You’re fatigued,”
The sheriff’s department stated on Saturday in response to inquiries by the Bay Area News Group that the search will continue, given the current weather conditions and water levels.
The Emergency Services Office of the Governor’s statement on Friday said that the full weight of the state remains behind the efforts of the local officials. After Lindsy’s first request, the state waived the permitting process for the use of excavators along the riverbanks.
Willow, the beloved dachshund mix, and Murphy, a rescued bulldog shepherd, are the favorite dogs of Kyle’s family. They enjoy digging and have a particular fondness for the green and purple stuffed monkey with long arms, which is tied around Murphy’s collar. Since Kyle’s family is currently deployed, they have purchased wading boots and kayaks to keep themselves entertained. Despite being alone, the Doans still strive to create a sense of adventure and happiness for their furry companions.
We were told that if you have a dog in your family and if you have a strong scent of something tied to Kyle’s dog, they can actually help sniff that scent.
Last weekend, Murphy appeared to stay close to a timber, but it yielded no results.
Melanie, a 16-year-old daughter, and Tyler, an 18-year-old son, have made an effort to join the small group of volunteers. Together, they have trudged across the ankle-deep Salinas River, covering a wide sandbar near the historic town mission of San Miguel. The sandbar is filled with mounds of branches and leafless trees. This has been their activity for the past three weekends, alongside Lindsy and Brian.
The only remaining visible evidence of her distressing experience is the crimson mark on her throat that occasionally becomes inflamed. On numerous occasions, Lindsy has wielded a shovel.
It was the first day back from winter break. He was a kindergartener and she is a special education teacher at Larsen Elementary School where she had been driving Kyle. She hates thinking about that horrific morning, but it keeps replaying in her head.
The water in the SUV started to fill up and drift. There were signs posted warning not to cross. The family safely crossed before it became night, even though the water level in San Marcos Creek, where the two-lane country road was located, looked the same.
Lindsy quickly grabbed his little hand with her awkwardly moving arm and swiftly moved around the branch of the tree, trying to hold onto each lost grip. Kyle beckoned her to come through the driver’s door and Lindsy managed to brace herself against a tree and climb out.
She lost sight of him. Sharp branches and tree trunks scratched and collided with him repeatedly, pulling him underwater and then she said, allowing him to float towards the tree branch. As he drifted away, she called out, “No!”
Lindsy managed to pull them to shore. Before the boy could reach him, he glimpsed a floating figure ahead of him and rushed to the edge of the creekside farm owned by a couple. Hoping that someone would see Kyle in front of her, she yelled “Help!” Every time she came up for air.
“I misplaced, I misplaced, I misplaced my baby,” she informed them.
On Saturday, Bill and Brian canceled their plans to come up to Morro Bay and hug Bill with $100, as most volunteers had their plans canceled due to the heavy rains last week. Yim Gomez-Lynne, along with his mother, Lindsy, and Kyle, carried his chainsaw to the muddy edge of the river downstream, five miles away.
The Doans, once again a letdown. It was unsafe to safely access the sandbar they intended to search for again. The water, which had been ankle deep last weekend, was now waist high. They anticipated a river that was wider and deeper than it appeared, accompanied by a dense fog.
Lindsy still can’t bear to drive on San Marcos Road, especially after that fateful incident in the past. They took a long way back to their west home in San Miguel, with the shovels still in the trunk.
But she refuses to give up searching for Kyle. In the house, she keeps everything nearly the same way he left it.
Christmas decorations are still up. In the freezer, there are cookies that he made with sprinkles, ready for him. On the entry hall table, the Scooby Doo toy is still where he left it, and when one of Kyle’s friends came over recently and picked up the toy, Lindsy exclaimed, “Please, do not touch it.”
They know they are stuck in a horrendous limbo, but it’s the only way she knows how to keep her boy close.
She expressed, “I have the sensation that when he returns, in the event that he notices any changes in the surroundings, it will give the impression that we have progressed without his presence.” “It is my desire for him not to perceive any progress. It is imperative for me to experience a sense of his continued presence.”