Missing kayaker’s body found along White River, second man remains missing

INDIANAPOLIS — After more than five days of searching, rescue crews have recovered the body of a kayaker reported missing in the White River last week.  

Two kayakers, both men, were reported missing last week. They were identified as Solomon Shirley, 22, and Marcus Robinson, 30.

Shirley was found by a passerby Monday, April 22 near the West Michigan Street bridge, about a mile from the low-head dam where the men were last reported to be seen.  

The search continues for Robinson.

“Our officers will continue … we will be out here on the water every single day,” said Lt. Angela Goldman, an Indiana Department of Natural Resources conservation officer. “We have been scouring the river from (the dam) all the way down to the rock dam at Washington Street.”

Search efforts began after a witness called 911 to report seeing the kayaks capsize at Emrichsville Dam and the men ejected from the boats and into the water as they traveled over the dam. The occupants never surfaced.

The Indianapolis Fire Department’s dive team was dispatched at 8:35 p.m. April 16 and sent boats into the river near West New York and Limestone streets west of downtown Indianapolis. 

Firefighters found one blue and one orange kayak just south of the train tracks near the bank, the fire department said in a news release late Tuesday. 

Attempts to locate the men stretched for the next several days and the search was marked with crews using sonar imaging to scan the river’s murky depths, a helicopter and drones.  

Contact reporter Sarah Nelson at sarah.nelson@indystar.com