A Missouri man who was missing for more than a week after going kayaking has been found drowned, just 300 feet from the dock.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP), 40-year-old Christopher Salmons left his home in Lincoln, Mo., at around 11 a.m. EST on Friday, March 14, to go kayaking on the Truman Reservoir, also known as Truman Lake. It is located about 100 miles southeast of Kansas City.
Before he left, Salmons had left a note for his sister, Stephanie Salmons, indicating that he was going to be gone for several hours, she wrote in a Facebook post. According to Stephanie, Salmons’ family began to panic when he did not return by that night.
By March 19, MSHP Troop A — which serves the Kansas City area — had shared in a post on X that a search was underway, and that water patrol and dive team members had been “diligently searching the Clear Creek Cove area of Truman Lake in Benton County.”
According to Salmons’ sister, although the 40-year-old’s red kayak, backpack and boots had washed up on the shore of Truman Lake within three days of his disappearance, there was still no sign of him.
On Sunday, March 23, MSHP confirmed on X that Salmons’ body had finally been found by troopers from the organization’s marine division at around 1:30 p.m EST.
In another Facebook post, Salmons’ sister wrote that her brother had been found “100 yards off the boat ramp in the cove,” and asked for prayers for the rest of their family.
According to a MSHP report on the incident, Salmons had likely fell out of his kayak during high winds and was not wearing a safety device. He later drowned in Warsaw, Mo., “due to the temperature of the water.”
In another Facebook post after Salmons was found, his sister reflected on his life, writing: “We are never guaranteed tomorrow. So tell those in your life that you love them while you still can.”
“My brother knew how much I love him, but this really hits home as to how short life can be. So make the most of it while you can,” she wrote.
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The National Park Service recommends that anyone who is kayaking in the U.S. should make sure they have the appropriate kind of kayak, wear a wetsuit and life jacket to protect from deadly cold waters and to have a rescue plan in place.
“Paddle with others. Make sure they know how to perform rescues too,” the Park Service states. “Leave a float plan with someone who cares about you. This includes information such as your name, type of boat and equipment used, and your planned route and schedule. Don’t forget to tell them when you get back so they would know when to start searching.”
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