Boy, 6, found dead in lagoon at Sedalia park

SEDALIA, Mo. (AP) -- A boy who disappeared while on a visit to a Sedalia park was found dead in a lagoon there after officials issued the city's first Amber Alert Wednesday evening.

Andrey F. Gorpinich, 6, was pronounced dead at the scene, an apparent drowning victim, Pettis County Coroner Fred Biggs said. The boy was the son of Victor and Velena Gorpinich.

According to police reports, the boy was at Liberty Park with his mother and three other children. He was first noticed to be missing about 5 p.m., and his mother and a friend looked for him before notifying a park security officer, who called police.

The Amber Alert, issued at 6:33, led to search efforts in the park and surrounding streets by nearly 100 officers, firefighters and volunteers. Firefighters who dragged the edges of the park lagoon with long pike poles found the body before divers from the Warrensburg Fire Department reached the scene.

Biggs said the body would be taken to Columbia and that the boy's death will be reviewed by a team as provided under state law, since there was no witness who actually saw him go into the water.

SEDALIA, Mo. (AP) -- A boy who disappeared while on a visit to a Sedalia park was found dead in a lagoon there after officials issued the city's first Amber Alert Wednesday evening.

Andrey F. Gorpinich, 6, was pronounced dead at the scene, an apparent drowning victim, Pettis County Coroner Fred Biggs said. The boy was the son of Victor and Velena Gorpinich.

According to police reports, the boy was at Liberty Park with his mother and three other children. He was first noticed to be missing about 5 p.m., and his mother and a friend looked for him before notifying a park security officer, who called police.

The Amber Alert, issued at 6:33, led to search efforts in the park and surrounding streets by nearly 100 officers, firefighters and volunteers. Firefighters who dragged the edges of the park lagoon with long pike poles found the body before divers from the Warrensburg Fire Department reached the scene.

Biggs said the body would be taken to Columbia and that the boy's death will be reviewed by a team as provided under state law, since there was no witness who actually saw him go into the water.