WINDSOR, Colo. (KDVR) — Family and friends are mourning the death of 20-year-old Kaylee Russell, after they said her body was found Thursday following a days-long search.
Russell was last seen at a Loveland park-and-ride last Sunday evening. After she was reported missing, friends and volunteers spent days searching the area to find her.
On Thursday, police located her car flipped upside down and submerged in a canal near the Timnath Reservoir, off Larimer County Road 1. A GoFundMe for Russell’s family confirmed she was found dead inside the vehicle.
Kristi Dahlstrom, a longtime friend of the Russell family, said the loss has been devastating.
“Such an amazing, resilient girl,” Dahlstrom said. “Kaylee was absolutely a hard worker. Yes, sassy and stubborn at times. But that was what made her so beautiful.”
Dahlstrom said the community support throughout the search was overwhelming, with strangers showing up to help look for the missing 20-year-old.
“It says so much about the community,” she said. “There were strangers and people she had never met, but it was a heartfelt gesture to try to help.”
Dahlstrom said the tragedy marks the second child that Russell’s mother, Rebecca, has lost.
“She’s already been through such a tremendous tragedy, losing her son,” Dahlstrom said. “None of us thought she would have to go through that again.”
Dahlstrom created a GoFundMe to support the family, originally to help with search efforts, and now to assist with funeral expenses and other needs. The fundraiser quickly surpassed its initial $2,000 goal.
“This morning I think it was close to $20,000, which is amazing,” Dahlstrom said. “Just the deepest thank you I can give.”