NEW ALBANY, Ind. — Holding her newborn, Alissa Malott showed a picture of the baby with her little brother, Andre "AJ" Edwards. Baby niece Briar won't get to know her uncle's kindness.
"When I had my first heartbreak in high school, AJ would just want to hug me," Malott said.
The 14 year old drowned at Silver Creek on Memorial Day, but his friends weren't sure if he fell or jumped into the water. It's likely the undercurrent near the dam pulled him under. The search for Edwards lasted nearly all day. Ultimately, some local men familiar with the creek pulled him out late at night.
Malott, the boy's older sister, spoke for the family.
"I think everybody just feels like something's missing. And it's AJ. AJ's missing," she said.
One of Edwards's favorite colors was pink. And with his name spray-painted on the bridge at Silver Creek—along with his memorial—the family hopes it will serve as a warning about the dangers of the low head dam. Concerns they brought to New Albany's City Council meeting Monday—one week after the boy's death, the very same day they laid him to rest.
New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan had a representative from his office read a written statement at the meeting.
"The city will continue working to improve the safety at the area, including pursuing improvements like the rock arch dam conversion that was presented to the public at a city council meeting in 2022," the representative said.
The mayor's statement also included an apology the family did not accept.
In the past, the city sued to keep the dam.
"Removing this dam can harm the functions that it currently serves, including providing water supply during times of drought and flood protection during periods of heavy rain," the mayor said at the time.
A spokesperson for River Heritage Conservancy released a statement on behalf of the board, which is working on a park project near Silver Creek and pushed for the dam's removal.
The statement read:
"The recommended state and federally approved solution was the full removal of the dam, yet the City's actions have fallen woefully short of this critical measure. While the City may have acknowledged the danger these structures pose through a resolution, their lack of adequate signage and the presence of a billboard promoting the dam's use falls short of protecting anyone coming down to the dam."
Instead of billboards advertising the space, the family thinks the city should at least post signs warning about the dam's dangers—because not every kid knows about the hazard.
"Exploring and swimming, falling, whatever it was, they were just being kids," she said, "And at the end of the day, it could have been anybody's."
It's Malott's hope that it doesn't happen to anybody ever again.
She's running a GoFundMe to cover the unexpected funeral costs.
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