JUST IN: Drowned kayaker ID’d after body found Tuesday afternoon

DELTA COUNTY, Mich. (WJMN) — UPDATE: The Delta County Sheriff’s Office has identified the kayaker’s body that was found after a two-day search earlier this week.

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office says the body of the 29-year-old kayaker was identified as Tyler Wright of Grand Rapids, MI. We’re told last Sunday Wright was fishing off the coast of Stonington in Little Bay de Noc, which is across the water from Escanaba.

The search began after he still hadn’t returned at 7 p.m., and he was eventually found in the water on Tuesday afternoon. The spokesperson said Wright was not believed to have been wearing a life jacket, and water temperatures were near 50 degrees.

UPDATE:

The body of the missing kayaker was found by searchers at approximately 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, in 14 feet of water. The Delta County Sheriff’s Office told Local 3 to expect an update with more details tomorrow.

Original story:

Search crews are continuing their efforts to find a missing kayaker after he was reported missing last Sunday.

According to the Delta Count Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched around 7 p.m. Sunday night to an area near Stonington after a report of a missing kayaker came in.

Police say the 29-year-old man was from the Lower Peninsula, and that an extensive land and water search extended well into the night. Around 2 a.m., they say what they suspect to be his kayak was found floating upside-down, about a half-mile offshore.

The U.S. Coast Guard reports their search efforts lasted for over 12 hours and covered 53 square miles, but were later suspended on Monday after no sightings were observed.

The sheriff’s office also tells us efforts on Monday were unsuccessful, and that their search crews are continuing to look for the man on Tuesday.

This is a developing situation. Local 3 will update you with the latest updates as we learn them.

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