Mother of missing autistic Tennessee girl Serenity Kinsey, 7, speaks out after her body is found in a lake

The mother of a seven-year-old autistic girl found drowned in a lake on the Fourth of July has opened up on the pain of losing her.

Serenity Alanna Marie Kinsey, 7, was found by a dive team in Douglas Lake near Dandridge, Tennessee just after 11 am, after which her mother, Tori Carstens, wrote on Facebook, 'Thank you everyone for your prayers. She passed so please send more prayers to help my fiancé and I process this.'

She was reported missing by her family about 5am after they realized she left their home on Indian Creek Road in the middle of the night.

An Amber Alert was issued by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation but her body was recovered from the nearby lake about an hour later.

Carstens rallied a posse of locals to take time out of their holiday and 'help bring my princess home'.

'My family and I have been searching all morning and have had no luck and I'm worried about her in this heat so anyone that is willing to help is more than welcome,' she wrote on a local Facebook group.

Carstens explained she was non-verbal but 'makes a loud humming noise when she wants your attention and she knows her name when it is being called'.

Numerous locals dropped everything and began driving, some from hours away, to help - but less than two hours later the search ended in tragedy.

Serenity was born on December 5, 2016, and was Carstens' first child with her partner Joseph Lemons.

The couple posted adorable photos of their little girl as she grew bigger, and Carstens wrote of how she 'changed her life'.

'Having you made me a different person, a better person. I respect myself more now because I have you and your sisters looking up to me,' she wrote on her fourth birthday.

'You really are my Serenity, my peace. I love you more than you'll ever know baby.'

Then on Mother's Day 2021, Carstens wrote a tribute to Serenity, along with her two stepdaughters from Lemons, that is heartbreaking after the girl's death.

'I love you guys so much and thank you for making me a mommy. I don't know what I would do without you. thank you for growing up with me and trusting me enough to teach you how to be a genuine person,' she wrote.

'I will make sure to make you proud every day and never give you a childhood you have to recover from. 

'Remember when the world is too loud and you're too overwhelmed, I'll be your peace. I'll be your advocate. 

'I'll be whatever you need me to be. I will never leave you stranded or second guessing.'

'A dive team located her body in a lake near her home a short time ago. Our hearts go out to her family during this difficult time.'

Serenity was last seen at her home at around 1am wearing black shorts and a blue t-shirt.

The young girl was described as autistic and nonverbal as authorities launched the Amber Alert.

But the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an update about an hour later to say her body was discovered.

'A dive team located her body in a lake near her home a short time ago. Our hearts go out to her family during this difficult time,' it said.

Kinsey reportedly liked water and lived close to the lake. No more information has been released by authorities.

DailyMail.com has contacted the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for comment.