RADFORD, Va. – UPDATE (7/4/2021)
The body of a missing kayaker has been recovered after he was reported missing on Saturday, according to Conservation Police Officers.
Investigators have identified the kayaker as 56-year-old Charles Wallace, of Dublin, Virginia.
This comes after a weekend of searching on the New River after Wallace went missing following a family trip. The search involved nearly 20 people, including five divers and at least four boats.
Conservation police tell us his body was recovered underwater at about two this afternoon, approximately 150 yards away from Arsenal Falls where he was last seen. A kayak was found submerged three miles away from his body.
Conservation police thanked all agencies involved in the search and warned about the dangers of Arsenal Falls.
“There have been accidents up there in the past. It’s probably the most dangerous area on this stretch of the river, and dependent on the water levels, it can get even worse,” said Sgt. John Koloda with DWR. “So it’s definitely an area to consider.”
Koloda told us the kayaker did have a life jacket but was not wearing it. They also say you should always wear a life jacket.
ORIGINAL
Search efforts are underway for a missing kayaker on the New River, according to the Pulaski County Special Operations Team.
On Saturday at about 10:30 a.m., police received a call of a missing kayaker report. Authorities report that the kayaker was fishing at Arsenal Falls and is a man in his 50s.
According to authorities, team members helped Montgomery County Emergency Services look for the kayaker in the area of the Radford Army Ammunition Plant.
A helicopter was used and flew from the boating ramp underneath the Veteran Memorial Bridge at the county borderline between Montgomery and Pulaski to Giles County, according to Montgomery County Emergency Services.
The search continued Sunday morning at 8 a.m. and approximately 19 people, including five divers and at least four boats, are searching at the Whitethorne boat ramp, authorities said. The boat ramp is currently closed due to the search.
Authorities report that crews entered the boat ramp because the low flow of water enables them to travel up the river rather than down, which is what they had to do on Saturday.
We were told that the Little River Dam in Radford and the New River Dam from AEP were asked to reduce their water flow to slow down the current for the search.
Crews advise you to avoid the area if possible as there will be a high volume of search boats and searchers. There will also be a drone to help with search efforts.
This is now an investigation controlled by conservation police.
Stay with 10 News for updates.
