Boy’s drowning death stuns Ogden’s homeless community, spurs generosity
Korbin Minchey, 8, died after being swept away in the swift current of the Ogden River Tuesday. He and his mother and service dog had been staying at the Lantern House recently and his exuberant life and untimely passing touched the community in a profound way.
Korbin Minchey, 8, died after being swept away in the swift current of the Ogden River Tuesday. He and his mother and service dog had been staying at the Lantern House recently and his exuberant life and untimely passing touched the community in a profound way.
Carol Drake stands outside the Lantern House homeless campus in Ogden where she is currently staying. Tears flowed as Drake talked about 8-year-old Korbin Minchey who died Tuesday after being swept away by the swift-running Ogden River.
Taneka Poarch, a former Los Angeles resident currently staying at the Lantern House in Ogden, spoke about the loss of 8-year-old Korbin Minchey during lunch at the facility Thursday. Poarch got acquainted with Korbin, his mother Kris and Korbin's black lab during their recent stays at the homeless campus
OGDEN — Tuesday’s drowning death of 8-year-old Korbin Minchey sunk the greater Lantern House community into shock and mourning.
“This has been a tough year. We’ve lost a lot of homeless people,” said Jennifer Canter, executive director of Ogden’s largest homeless campus. “It’s hard enough when it’s an adult … but it’s tenfold when it’s a child because we get to know them like they’re our own kids. They eat and sleep here, they come and show us their homework, they spend the weekends, and we celebrate Christmas and Easter with them, so they’re like our family.”
Around 4 p.m. Tuesday, the gregarious boy, who was autistic, was swept away by the raging Ogden River as he chased after his service dog. Ogden Fire Chief Mike Mathieu believed Korbin entered the water near Big-Dee Sports Park at 1375 Park Blvd. and the river carried him about two miles west where his body hung up in a tree. Firefighters fished him out near 500 East.
After paramedics tried to resuscitate him, Korbin was transported to McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden in extremely critical condition, Mathieu said. He was later flown to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, according to Ogden Police Department Lt. Brian Eynon. Korbin passed away some time Tuesday night, according to Facebook posts from older siblings.
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Canter described Korbin as a special child.
“Being autistic, he had kind of his own special powers and he really took care of his mother,” Canter said. “I don’t have an opportunity to meet all the kids that come here, but every now and then there are certain kids that grab your attention.”
And Korbin would do just that, hailing every one who passed with a hearty, “Hey!”
“He’d force everyone to be his friend and to interact — and not in a bad way. You couldn’t help but think he was just a doll because he always had a huge smile on his face. He really put off a very good vibe,” Canter said.
Korbin also struck Canter as surprisingly selfless for someone so young.
“When they first came here, he asked, ‘Are you going to take care of my mom?’ I don’t think he knew what selfish meant. He was more concerned with everybody else than himself,” Canter said.
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Carol Drake, a current Lantern House resident, apologized for dissolving into tears as she reminisced about Korbin.
“I liked Korbin. When I first met him and his mom Kris, I thought he was about 10 because he was big for his age. He would have been 9 in July. He had sandy-blond curly hair and pretty blue eyes, and I thought the world of him,” Drake said. “The last time I saw Korbin, I bought him a bug juice and a candy bar from Common Cents.”
Taneka Poarch, originally from Los Angeles, is also residing at Lantern House.
“His mom loved him very much. He always had a great smile on his face, and he was just a generally rambunctious good kid,” Poarch, noting that Korbin and his black lab Charlie were inseparable.
Poarch said she spoke with Korbin’s mom Wednesday and “she’s still grasping the fact that he’s gone. She was still pretty much in shock.”
Social worker John Terry helped manage their case at Lantern House, and initiated the paperwork to get Korbin enrolled at Heritage Elementary in Ogden.
“Korbin’s personality, right to begin with, lit up Lantern House … he had some struggles, which is hard for a parent at times, but he brought so much joy to everybody while he was here,” Terry said. “It’s devastating when anybody passes, but particularly when a child passes away, the effects are heavy for those of us that knew this family.”
Wednesday afternoon, the Lantern House posted news about Korbin’s death on its Facebook page, alerting the community to ways it could help fund his funeral and final resting place.
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The response to that post has been overwhelming, Canter said. Within 24 hours, a couple donated a burial plot in Aultorest Memorial Park in Ogden, someone else came forward with a headstone, and Lindquist Mortuary will provide a free funeral. In addition, more than $2,500 earmarked “For Korbin” poured in from donors on the Lantern House website. And Canter said Thursday she had yet to count the cash people had dropped off in person.
“We’ve had phone calls from all over the state,” Canter said. “So if funeral expenses don’t consume all the funds being raised, we’re hoping to give it to Kris so she can get into an apartment.”
Attempts to reach Korbin’s relatives Thursday were unsuccessful. One of his aunts posted a link on Facebook to a Gofundme account to help raise “Funeral help for sweet Korbin.”
Contact reporter Cathy McKitrick at 801-625-4214 or cmckitrick@standard.net. Follow her on Twitter at @catmck.