First responders are searching for a kayaker who is feared dead after he disappeared in the Owyhee River on Saturday, March 1.
Malheur County Sheriff Travis Johnson said first responders searched late into the evening from the shore on Saturday after witnesses saw Troy Allen Lukens, 56, get separated from his kayak below Snively Hot Springs, below the Owyhee Dam and above the community of Owyhee Junction.
Johnson said the witnesses attempted to rescue Lukens, but high water with swift currents impeded their efforts. Lukens, listed as a transient, was still missing as of 3 p.m. Sunday, according to Johnson.
Several agencies helped the sheriff’s office search for Lukens from the bank of the river on Saturday, according to Johnson.
On Sunday, the search for Lukens included a drone, jet ski and swift water patrol from agencies that included Ontario Fire and Rescue and Adrian Quick Response Unit, along with Fruitland, Payette and New Plymouth rescue teams, according to Johnson.
This weekend, the Owyhee Irrigation District began releasing water from the reservoir into the river. Johnson said that on Monday, management from the irrigation district would drop flows into the river for about 24 hours. He said this would provide better conditions for first responders to locate Lukens. Johnson said flows from the river are about 2,300 cubic feet per second.
He said Lukens was dropped off at Snively Hot Springs by his girlfriend. She asked him not to go into the water, according to the sheriff’s office.
