SEARCH DAY 18: Body Recovered from Thermalito Afterbay
BCFAC News 12/31/2024 Butte County, CA – On Tuesday morning, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the recovery of a body from the Thermalito Afterbay. A sheriff’s office pilot initially spotted the body during a search operation. However, the search effort was temporarily disrupted due to a drone flying dangerously close to the helicopter, forcing the pilot to land.
The sheriff’s office has indicated that the search will continue by air. Although the body’s identity has not been officially confirmed, it is suspected to be one of the two teenage duck hunters who went missing earlier this month. The office will release identification once the next of kin has been notified.
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BCFAC NEWS 12/23/2024 Butte County, CA – The search and recovery efforts for 19-year-old “Dru” Andruw Cornett and 17-year-old “Wes” Wesley Cornett have entered the tenth day at the Thermalito Afterbay.
In a press release today, Butte County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) said they have exhausted efforts with divers and sonar technology and will shift the focus to a continuous limited search. This involves surface search methods, which includes aircraft, drones, boats, on-shore vehicles, and K9s.
On Saturday morning, December 14, 2024, brothers Wes and Dru disappeared while duck hunting on the Thermalito Afterbay. The day’s hunt was marked by challenging conditions, with high winds and whitecaps on the water.
Wes kayaked out to retrieve a downed duck when the kayak overturned. Dru, who was on shore, attempted to swim to his brother’s aid after calling 911. Neither brother has been seen since.
