The bodies of a father and son whowent missing while kayaking togetheron a spring break trip in Arkansas last month have been found.
Chuck Morris, a percussionist for the jam band Lotus, and his 20-year-old son Charley, werereported missing on Mar. 16, when they went out kayaking in Beaver Lake, but never returned, according to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.
On Sunday, following “24 days of recovery efforts,” police announced that the bodies of both Chuck and Charley had been recovered.
In their statement, police said that they relied on “resources from across the nation,” and that Saturday’s search utilized underwater robotics systems “in a challenging environment that exceeded depths of 180'.”
“Sheriff Holloway, along with the family of Chuck and Charley, would like to thank all the men and women who donated their time and efforts,” police said. “Our heart goes out [to] the family of Chuck and Charley Morris and we are thankful today that we can help bring closure.”
Weeks before their bodies were found, Chuck and Charley’s family shared that the search had transitioned into a recovery mission.
As of Mar. 21, five days after the pair were reported missing, their family said in a statement that all parties involved “are in agreement as to the fate and probable location of Chuck and Charley.”
Chuck and Charley Morris.GoFundMe
“The weather and other elements created a perfect stormon the lake, and in the lake, that was unsurvivable,” the family wrote in the statement shared on a GoFundMe page.
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Jennifer Thompson previously toldABC Newsthat her family went on vacation together after her husband Chuck returned home from a tour and their son Charley was home from college.
Although there were strong currents and waves on Mar. 16, Thompson told the outlet “we thought it would be a good idea for Chuck and Charley to be able to get on the kayaks before a storm hit.”
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“What saved me from the beginning of this is that they died together; they were together,” she told the outlet.
On Sunday morning, hours before police shared that both bodies had been recovered, the family released a statement, saying they had been informed that Charley’s body had been found, but that police were “still actively searching for Chuck.”
Lotus has announced they willhost four benefit concertsto honor their late percussionist and his son. “These special concerts will celebrate the lives of Chuck and Charley with 100% of the net proceeds going directly to the Morris family,” they wrote.
“We were all hoping for a miracle,” the band wrote in a previous statement. “While we are deeply grieving, we plan to celebrate Chuck and Charley’s lives, our memories with them, and what they meant to so many people. Thank you to all who have reached out with fond words, stories, emotional and financial support.”
source: people.com
