BMX rider Casey Lantz Hare found dead after Joplin tornado
The four-day search for Casey Lantz Hare, a BMX rider from Joplin, Missouri, who had been missing since the devastating tornado hit his hometown on the night of Sunday, May 22nd, did not end well. The 16-year-old was found dead on Thursday, May
26th.
The tornado that struck Joplin and claimed the life of Lantz, is being regarded as one of the deadliest in America in 64 years and the eighth deadliest tornado in the country’s history.
As Hare was heading home on Sunday night, the 200 mph winds pulled him out of his car and he had been missing ever since. His father, Mike Hare, along with the rest of the family, friends and local authorities searched for him in the following days but to
no success. They searched the hospitals and other locations but to no avail. Even trying out his cell phone got them nowhere close to finding him.
“It rang for the first day and a half, and now it goes straight to voice mail. But just in case he gets it, I want him to know his dad loves him,” said the father a few days before his son’s body was located.
The family and friends tried to get as many people involved in the search as possible, using media, posters, etc. However, there had been no sighting of Hare and the search party was forced to wait.
On Thursday, the family was notified that Lantz was, in fact, dead. His body was found in the morgue, along with numerous other victims of the tornado.
The devastation caused by the monster that hit Joplin on Sunday is un-measureable. Countless families have been destroyed while over 232 people have been reported missing. The list of those injured in the nightmare exceeds 900.
Lantz, a Joplin High School-student, was passionate about BMX riding and spent most of his spare time riding at the Autumn Ramp Park and trained under the park’s director, Jeremiah Anderson.
People from all over the world, including the professional BMX community, have been offering their condolences to Lantz’s family via internet.
May Lantz rest in peace and find a place in heaven. We also offer our condolences to his family and friends.
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