Kayaker heading to remote campsite vanishes, SC crews say. Body later found
UPDATE: The missing kayaker’s body was found Monday, Oct. 9, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. The Oconee County Coroner’s Office in a news release identified the kayaker as 23-year-old Joshua A. Morales of Auburn, Georgia. Morales reportedly died in an accidental drowning.
The original story is below.
A kayaker was traveling to a remote campsite when he vanished on a South Carolina lake, officials said.
The man was kayaking with a woman on Lake Jocassee when both of their boats flipped in rough water. Crews were called and found the female kayaker, who was taken to a hospital for hypothermia on Oct. 7, according to Scott Krein, director of Oconee County Emergency Services.
But as of early Oct. 9, the search continued for the male kayaker, who went under water and never resurfaced, according to emergency crews and a social media post from the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.
A team used sonar technology and had divers on standby as they looked for the missing man in up to 150 feet of water. Crews found some of the boaters’ equipment and their dog but hadn’t found the man, Krein told McClatchy News in a phone interview.
The kayakers had been on Lake Jocassee as they planned for a camping trip in the wilderness. They reportedly weren’t wearing life jackets.
Lake Jocassee is a popular spot for fishing and other water activities. It can be accessed through Devils Fork State Park, roughly 40 miles northwest of Greenville.
This story was originally published October 9, 2023 at 8:30 AM with the headline "Kayaker heading to remote campsite vanishes, SC crews say. Body later found."
