The body of 40-year old kayaker Christopher David Salmons, of Warsaw, was found by Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) at around 1:30 PM on Sunday afternoon, March 23 near Clear Creek Cove on Truman Lake. He had been missing since March 14. With the help of online news outlets (www.ky3.com, abc17news.com, www.bing.com, www.msn.com, www.kmbc.com, https://apnews.com and Facebook Benton County Chatter), a short synopsis of the search for Salmons follows.
Salmons left a note on March 14 indicating he was going to Truman Lake for a couple of hours, but according to his sister, Stephanie Salmons, he did not return. She said in a Facebook post that his boat, backpack and boots were washed up on the lake’s shore within three days but there was no initial sign of her brother. Then he was found dead 100 yards off the boat ramp in the cove.
The MSHP Troop A posted on March 19 that the Water Patrol and Dive Team members had been searching the Clear Creek Cove area since March 14. At the beginning of the search, the lake’s temperature was 45 degrees in the morning. An investigation revealed that Salmons likely fell out of his kayak during high winds. He was not wearing a safety device and drowned due to the temperature of the water.
Many comments were made on Facebook Benton County Chatter sending prayers for Salmons’ safety. One commenter reported that there were drones and helicopters involved in the search. After being unable to contact MSHP, the Benton County Enterprise talked to Benton County Sheriff Knox who said that the Marine Safety Water Patrol handled the search and the Sheriff’s Office was not contacted.
On March 21, AP News also reported the death of a kayaker from Michigan and two other people missing after an outing on Stockton Lake in Southwestern Missouri. The kayaks apparently capsized in what was believed to be rough water.
