After four weeks of body recovery efforts, searchers using an underwater drone vehicle have recovered the bodies of missing Colorado musician Chuck Morris, a percussionist for the band Lotus, and his son, Charley, in Arkansas, authorities confirmed Monday.
They found the bodies in Beaver Lake, at a depth around 180 feet, Benton County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Shannon Jenkins said.
An effort on Sunday that drew in a Christian Aid Ministries Search and Rescue Team from Tennessee located and recovered the bodies using the underwater vehicle “in a challenging environment,” Jenkins said.
Morris, 47, and his 20-year-old son Charley went kayaking in March and did not return. A storm was approaching as they went out that brought winds at speeds of 40 miles per hour.
Searchers initially found two kayaks and a coat on the lake. On March 16, the sheriff’s office launched a search, focusing on an area near Lost Bridge Village. Search teams, technology and other resources from around the nation aided in the search, authorities said.
Lotus began in 1999 and in 2021 opened Colorado’s Red Rocks concert season with Morris playing the drums.
“Our heart goes out to the family of Chuck and Charley Morris,” Jenkins said, “and we are thankful that we can help bring closure.”
