(Fremont County, WY) – The body of the missing and presumed drowned kayaker was recovered Friday, July 7, according to a post shared on the Riverton Search and Rescue Facebook page on the same date.
“The search for the young man at Ocean Lake is over, he was recovered earlier today,” the post states. “Our team along with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Game and Fish and Tip Top Search and Rescue did all we could to get him back to his family and friends and hopefully provide some closure.”
According to the initial press release from the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO), heavy winds caused two 25-year-old Riverton men to “become distressed” while kayaking on July 3, when both kayaks eventually capsized.
A nearby boater rescued one man, the release stated, but only the kayak of the other man was initially discovered, and he was later presumed drowned.
Other updates on the Riverton Search and Rescue page shared how much of a challenge the search was with difficult weather, forcing them to put in “17+ straight hours” of searching on the good weather days.
“There were multiple days of bad weather that made the water unsafe to be on and search efforts harder or impossible,” the July 7 post continues. “Our thoughts are with all that knew him and loved him.”
Riverton Search and Rescue also went on to thank the boater who helped save the other kayaker, the landowners for use of their property during search efforts, and the assistance of Tip Top Search and Rescue.