April 10 (UPI) — The bodies of a father and son who went missing nearly a month ago while kayaking in Arkansas have been found, authorities said Sunday.
The bodies of Chuck Morris, the 46-year-old percussionist for the band Lotus, and his son, 20-year-old Charley Morris, have been recovered following a 24-day search, the sheriff’s office for Benton County, located along Arkansas’ northwestern border with Oklahoma to the west and Missouri to the north, said in a statement.
“Our heart goes out to the family of Chuck and Charley Morris and we are thankful today that we can help bring closure,” the office said.
The announcement came hours after the Morris family confirmed in a statement distributed through Lotus’ social media accounts that the body of Charley Morris had been found and that the cause of death was drowning.
The location where the bodies were found was not released, but authorities had been searching since March 16 for the missing kayakers in the area of Lost Bridge Village of Beaver Lake.
On March 21, Lotus said on social media that the rescue mission had moved to a recovery effort, which was hampered by weather and the cold temperatures and depth of the waters being searched.
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday that the recovery efforts were successful due to the use of technology and personnel.
“Sheriff [Shawn] Holloway, along with the family of Chuck and Charley, would like to thank all the men and women who donated their time and efforts to help bring closure to the family and recover the two missing men,” the office said.
