NEW ALBANY, Ind. — The mother of the 14-year-old who died after drowning in the Silver Creek Dam says if the dam came down sooner, her son would still be alive.

The controversial dam in New Albany will be removed after a years-long legal battle between the city and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

14-year-old Andre "AJ" Edwards died after going underwater and not coming back up on Memorial Day in 2024.

His mother, Amanda Malott, said AJ and his friends had walked about five minutes from home to Silver Creek, a common hangout for them.

"AJ hadn't been away from home, but I don't know, for maybe 30 or 45 minutes. He hadn't been gone long," she said. "And when the police showed up and told me that they were swimming and that AJ went underwater and didn't resurface, I

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