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Kentucky teacher grieves student who died in Frankfort flood. ‘Impossible not to love.’
By Valarie Honeycutt Spears
April 5, 2025 3:21 PM
The Kentucky River floods Watson Court in downtown Frankfort, Ky., on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Ryan C. Hermens rhermens@herald-leader.com
Nine-year-old Gabriel Andrews was “the sweetest, kindest boy who was impossible not to love,” his teacher at Hearn Elementary School said in a social media post Friday, the day the child died in floodwaters in Frankfort while walking to a school bus stop.
“I was Gabe’s teacher this year and I loved him so much. He was the sweetest boy who always put a smile on my face,” the teacher Kasey Swails said in a Facebook post.
“He told me good morning EVERY morning as soon as he walked in my door. He has so many people who love him, especially every kiddo in our classroom,” Swails said. “Today, an important part of that classroom family was taken from us. The sweetest, kindest boy who was impossible not to love. Who loved basketball and anything to do with a police car, who tried his best at any task given to him.”
Frankfort police received a call around 6:35 a.m. Friday that Gabriel was caught in floodwaters in the Hickory Hill area of Frankfort. Police launched a search-and-rescue mission, but Gabriel was found dead about two hours later.
Gabriel was of two fatalities in the latest round of flooding in Kentucky.
A 74-year-old Nelson County man was found in a submerged car in that county Saturday morning, authorities said.
