The mother of a seven-year-old autistic girl who was found drowned in a lake on July 4 has spoken out about the pain of losing her.
Serenity Alanna Marie Kinsey, 7, was found by a dive team in Douglas Lake near Dandridge, Tennessee, shortly after 11 a.m., after which her mother, Tori Carstens, wrote on Facebook: “Thank you all for your prayers. She passed away so please send more prayers to help my fiancé and I process this.”
Her family reported her missing around 5 a.m. after realizing she had left her home on Indian Creek Road in the middle of the night.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an Amber Alert, but her body was recovered from the nearby lake about an hour later.
Carstens gathered a group of locals to take time out from their vacation and “help bring my princess home.”
Serenity Alanna Marie Kinsey, 7, was found dead after drowning in a lake after wandering away from her home after 1 a.m.
Serenity’s mother, Tori Carstens, gathered a group of locals to take time out from their vacation and “help bring my princess home.”
“My family and I have been searching all morning and have had no luck. I’m worried about her in this heat so anyone willing to help is more than welcome,” she wrote on a local Facebook group.
Carstens explained that she doesn’t speak, but “makes a loud humming noise when she wants your attention and knows her name when called.”
Scores of locals dropped everything and began driving, some from hours away, to help, but less than two hours later the search ended in tragedy.
Serenity was born on December 5, 2016, and was Carstens’ first child with partner Joseph Lemons.
Serenity was born on December 5, 2016, and was Carstens’ first child with partner Joseph Lemons (pictured with Serenity as a toddler).
Carstens said she and Lemons needed time to “process” their daughter’s death.
The couple posted adorable photos of their little girl as she grew up, with Carstens writing about how she “changed her life.”
“Having you made me a different person, a better person. I respect myself more now because you and your sisters look up to me,” she wrote on her fourth birthday.
“You truly are my serenity, my peace. I love you more than you will ever know, darling.”
Then, on Mother’s Day 2021, Carstens wrote a tribute to Serenity, along with her two Lemons stepdaughters, that is heartbreaking following the little girl’s death.
“I love you all so much and thank you for making me a mom. I don’t know what I would do without you. Thank you for growing up with me and trusting me enough to teach you how to be a genuine person,” she wrote.
Serenity on a fairground ride with Lemons in a photo posted by her mother
The couple posted adorable photos of their little girl as she grew up, with Carstens writing about how she “changed her life.”
Serenity didn’t speak, but “makes a loud humming noise when she wants your attention and knows her name when called.”
‘I will make sure to make you proud every day and never give you a childhood you have to recover from.
“Remember that when the world is too loud and you are too overwhelmed, I will be your peace. I will be your defender.
“I’ll be whatever you need me to be. I’ll never leave you hanging or wondering.”
“A diving team recently located his body in a lake near his home. Our deepest condolences to his family at this difficult time.”
Serenity was last seen at her home around 1 a.m. wearing black shorts and a blue T-shirt.
The young woman was described as autistic and non-verbal when authorities issued the Amber Alert.
A dive team found the seven-year-old boy in Douglas Lake near Dandridge shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday.
Her family reported her missing around 5 a.m. after realizing she had left her home on Indian Creek Road in the middle of the night.
But the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an update about an hour later to say her body had been discovered.
“A short time ago, a diving team located his body in a lake near his home. Our deepest condolences to his family at this difficult time,” it said.
Kinsey is said to have enjoyed the water and lived near the lake. Authorities have not released any further information.
DailyMail.com has contacted the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for comment.
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