- Video shows Missouri River, families searching for loved ones, and first responder searching the river.
- Three girls went missing Monday night near the Missouri River. Family and friends continue searching alongside first responders, battling cold water and strong currents.
- Lainana Green, a high school senior, was described by loved ones as kind, responsible, and a nature lover.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Melissa Wright, reporting from the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, where I’ve spent the day alongside friends and family — all hoping to find Lainana Green, Lah Ktray Moo, and her niece, who went missing near the Missouri River last night.
Officials now say this is no longer a rescue — it’s a recovery effort.
Deputies, firefighters, and volunteers searched for hours Tuesday evening. One of the girls was found, but Lainana and the others remain missing.
“I'm stuck, I'm lost. My mind is everywhere… um, but my daughter is very special. She was everything. Everybody loves her. She is a lovable person. She don't get into trouble. She was not your average teenager,” said Lashawna Jones, Lainana’s mother. Jones says Lainana was a nature lover. Being by the river wasn’t unusual for her. She was enior at North High School, set to graduate in May, with dreams of going to college.
“Anyone who knows my daughter, who knows Lainana, knows how very special she was, how truly blessed she is, as a human, as a person, so just help,” said Jones.
When official search efforts were paused overnight due to darkness, friends and family kept going — walking along the Missouri River near NP Dodge Park from 11:30 p.m. until around 3:30 a.m.
Nyiona Walker, Lainana’s cousin, says the two were more like sisters, being only a year apart in age.
“Last time I talked to her was last Sunday… and we just hung out… and we just went on a nature walk… and just had cousin time,” said Walker.
She says she’s trying to stay positive, but it’s getting harder with each passing hour.
“I’m trying to be as upbeat as I can but it’s kind of hard when this is the situation and nobody knows anything and we can’t help in any way, we don’t know,” said Walker. Search crews are facing difficult conditions — including strong currents and water temperatures hovering around 45 degrees.
Lainana’s mother, Lashawna tells me the family has no plans to stop, until she’s found. At the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, I’m Melissa Wright.
