Officials confirm body found in creek Saturday is that of Devon Cooley

Officials confirmed Wednesday that the body found in a creek over the weekend was that of 11-year-old Devon Cooley, according to Wichita police Sgt. Nikki Woodrow.

Nearly two weeks ago, Devon was swept away by fast-moving water from heavy rains as he and some friends tried to cross a stretch of Gypsum Creek near Jardine Middle School in south Wichita.

Police and firefighters had searched for the boy since May 27.

On Saturday, Wichita police and fire units recovered Devon’s body near 31st Street South and K-15 when a kayaker noticed the body and called 911.

At the time, police could not confirm the body’s identity nor how long it had been in the water.

But Woodrow said Wednesday that the Sedgwick County Coroner’s Office identified Devon through dental records and concluded he died from drowning.

Devon’s family said in a written statement Tuesday that officials shared the news with his relatives.

The family set up two donation collections in the 11-year-old’s honor: one to cover service funds, through GoFundMe.com, a crowd-sourcing site; and another for a water safety program to educate and protect children in the future, through DevonCooley.com, which will double as the family’s memorial site.

The family said it does not yet have details set for memorial services.

This story was originally published June 7, 2016 at 9:31 PM with the headline "Officials confirm body found in creek Saturday is that of Devon Cooley."