By Don Steen ~ Staff Writer • [email protected]
After days of searching, divers from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources successfully recovered the body of Hunter Conner, 22, from the Ohio River. Conner had been missing since Thursday morning, when he and another man entered the water while kayaking upstream of the Grandview Boat Dock. The two were reportedly hunting water fowl and attempting to collect a shot bird when the incident took place.
Conner’s companion managed to reach the shore and called for assistance. Spencer County Dispatch received a 911 call at 9:08 a.m. Thursday morning to report that a man was in the river. First responders arrived quickly and began a search from shore and by boat. They recovered Conner’s waders and the kayak, but could not locate the man himself.
Multiple agencies mobilized to coordinate the search at the Grandview Boat Dock. A life flight helicopter arrived and was on standby for most of the morning. Upon its return flight it too made a pass above the river to scan for signs of Conner.
Rescuers remained on station into the night and resumed their efforts at 7 a.m. Friday morning. Boats continued to ply the waters all through Saturday, deploying sonar and other methods to find the missing man. At around 5:30 p.m. Saturday evening, the body was located and DNR divers entered the frigid waters to recover it.
The Spencer County Sheriff’s Department extends its condolences to the Conner family and offered thanks to all agencies and individuals who participated in the days-long search and rescue effort.
The Spencer County Emergency Management Agency also recognized those who participated in the search or provided support to emergency personnel during the effort. These included Spencer County EMS, Spencer County Sheriff’s Department, Air Evac, Chrisney Volunteer Fire Department, Grandview Volunteer Fire Department, DNR, ISP Dive Team, Spence County 911 Dispatch, Yelvington Volunteer Fire & Rescue, Hancock County EM Dive Team, Owensboro Fire Department, Lewisport Volunteer Fire & Rescue, Mulzer Crushed Stone, Daviess County Fire Department, Boonville Fire Department, Spencer County Coroner’s Office, Tim and Michelle Coomer, Dave Meredith, Gospel Mission Church, Obermeier Hardware, Fritz’s Place, Circle S, Angelos, Fat Daddy’s, Town of Grandview and Nix Sanitation.
Featured Image: Divers come to shore with the recovered kayak belonging to Hunter Conner, 22. Conner’s body was recovered around 5:30 p.m. Saturday evening.
Below: A gallery of photos captured from the search on the Ohio River
