The Indianapolis community is mourning the heartbreaking loss of Amya Elizabeth Haas, a 22-year-old lifeguard, swim instructor, artist, and aspiring pharmacy technician, who tragically drowned in Eagle Creek Reservoir on July 24, 2025.
According to authorities, Amya dove from a sailboat and never resurfaced. Despite hours of intensive searching by multiple water rescue agencies, her body was recovered later that night. Her sudden passing has left her family and loved ones devastated and searching for answers.
“It’s so ironic,” said her mother, Tanya Haas, in an emotional interview with IndyStar. “She spent her summer teaching others how to be safe in the water—working as a lifeguard and swim instructor. Of all the ways this could have happened…”
Amya was a vibrant, multifaceted young woman. A gifted artist, she had recently launched her own online art store, channeling her emotions and creativity into paintings that helped calm and center her. “It calmed her spirit,” her mother shared. “Art was her outlet.”
She was also preparing for a new chapter in her life, training to become a pharmacy technician, while continuing to explore new ways to share and grow her artistic talent. Her entrepreneurial spirit and creative drive were matched only by her fierce loyalty and warm, outgoing personality.
Adopted at age four along with her younger brother, Amya found a loving home with Tanya and David Haas, her adoptive parents. Her biological mother—who struggled with mental health—was the adopted sister of David. Amya faced challenges of her own, but always carried deep love for her family.
“Even when she was having a hard time as an adult,” Tanya recalled, “she’d curl up in my lap and ask me to hold her for a while.”
Her loss has left a painful void in the lives of her siblings, parents, and the many others who were touched by her compassion, creativity, and courage.
Amya’s story is not only one of sorrow, but also a powerful reminder: even the most experienced swimmers are not immune to the unpredictable dangers of open water. Her death echoes a growing call for stronger public awareness around water safety—for everyone, not just beginners.
As we remember Amya Elizabeth Haas, let us honor her spirit by continuing the work she loved: protecting others, pursuing creativity, and showing love—especially in the hardest moments.
She will be deeply missed.
She will be forever remembered.
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