Authorities recovered the body of a missing kayaker from the Owyhee River on Thursday, April 10, below Snively Hot Springs.
Malheur County Sheriff Travis Johnson said in a press release that his staff located the body of Troy Allen Lukens, 56, last week below Snively Hot Springs in the Owyhee River.
Lukens had disappeared on March 1 after taking his kayak into the river during a period of high water levels, according to Johnson. His disappearance triggered an extensive multi-agency search effort, including drone, jet ski and swift water patrols, Johnson said. The Owyhee Irrigation District also dropped flows from the reservoir to the river so searchers could access the river to safely search.
Johnson said authorities scaled back the search effort to regular monitoring of the river as challenging conditions continued to hamper the search.
Last week, Johnson said Undersheriff David Kesey and deputy Orson Frates took advantage of “favorable conditions.” With Kesey on his personal kayak and Frates providing support from the shore, they located Lukens’ body.
Johnson said his office extends its “deepest condolences” to Lukens’ family and friends “during this difficult time.”
Johnson also said that he had “sincere gratitude” to the agencies that helped search. He also recognized the “dedicated members” of his staff who continued to search for Lukens and were “ready to respond when needed.”
News tip? Send your information to Steven Mitchell at [email protected].
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