Tristan R. Stelling, 17, passed away Tuesday, July 5, 2011. 

He was born Dec. 26, 1993 in Evansville and resided in Princeton his entire life. 

He was a student at Princeton Community High School where he would have been a senior this fall. Tristan was a music lover, especially playing the guitar and was a member of many bands including, “Calling of the Kings.”  He very much enjoyed skateboarding, had many friends, was loved by many and had a great sense of humor.

 Tristan is survived by his mother, Dawn Stelling of Princeton; his father, Rob Stelling of Princeton; a brother, T. J. Stelling of Princeton; grandparents, Allen and Terry Shoultz of Petersburg; grandmother, Frances Stelling of Princeton; great-grandmother, Maria Carbajal of Guadalajara, Mexico; uncles and aunts, Kevin and Amy Hook of Petersburg, Carl and Stephanie Stelling of Newport News, Va., Bill Stelling of Princeton; and cousins, Nate Hook, Blane Gress, and Carl and Emily Stelling.

 He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Captain Bill Hunt.

 Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at Hillside United Methodist Church, 828 W. CR 100N in Princeton with Rev. Brian Cook, Rev. Brad Keenan and Rev. Lisa Schubert officiating. Burial will be at Columbia White Church Cemetery in Princeton. 

Visitation will be from 4–8 p.m. Tuesday at Hillside United Methodist Church.  Colvin Funeral Home in Princeton is handling arrangements.

GIBSON COUNTY, Ind. — The body of Princeton, Ind., resident Tristan Stelling, 17, who was reported missing after he was last seen swimming in the White River on Tuesday, was found in the river Friday morning.

Knox County Coroner Don Halter confirmed the body as being Stelling’s. An autopsy is scheduled for 2 p.m. EDT today in Knox County, he said.

Cpl. Duane Englert, an Indiana Conservation Officer and lead investigator in the search, found the body about a mile and a half downriver from Cunningham Ferry at 6:41 a.m. Friday, said Indiana Conservation Officer Mike Kellner.

“The family members were contacted by phone,” Kellner said.

Stelling was last seen Tuesday by Arnold Becker, 20, also of Princeton, when the two were attempting to swim across the Gibson County river with two other Princeton residents, Justin Sealey, 18, and Aaron Manns, 19.

Becker, while struggling with the river’s current and using a tree branch for flotation, saw Stelling go under, Kellner said. One of the young men of the four made it across the river, and another turned back as Becker gripped the tree.

Becker’s mother, Susan Greene, said their family really hadn’t discussed the news of a body being found yet as of early Friday afternoon.

“We’re all aware of it,” she said. “We’re holding up as can be expected.”

The search scene at the river was cleared by around 10:30 a.m. Friday, Kellner said.

“There was a tremendous effort made by the local fire departments and other emergency agencies in assisting with this investigation, and we’re very grateful,” Kellner said. “It would have been awful difficult without them.”

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