On Sunday May 23, 2010 at 7:09 a.m.I, CPO was notified by Sgt. of a lost kayaker on Salt creek in Logan county near Middletown.  Sgt. advised me to respond to Logan Co. road 250 Ave at Salt creek with the side scan sonar.  This location is also known as "Middletown beach".  Upon arrival I spoke to Logan Co. ESDA Coordinator.  He advised me of the following events:  On Saturday May 22, 2010 at 8:48 p.m. a 911 call was placed to the Logan co. Sheriffs office advising them of a subject, who had been kayaking, was missing.  At 9:08 pm Lincoln Fire Dept responded with a boat.  A helicopter was also dispatched to help search due to it being dark outside.  At 11:42 pm the helicopter located a white kayak, upside down, lodged in large log jam approximately four tenths of mile downstream of CR 250th Ave.  Rescue workers were able to retrieve the kayak.  The kayak had a type IV throwable device in it along with a cooler.  The cooler contained 3 unopened cans of Bush Light beer.  The kayaker was no where to be found.  
     I spoke to two subjects who were kayaking with the victim.  They said that all the kayakers were supposed to stop at Middletown beach (CR 250th Ave) to load up after launching from Rocky Ford Bridge.  For some unknown reason the victim continued past the beach area and went around a bend on the creek and that was the last time he was seen.  one subject stated victim was not wearing a PFD and that he had started the kayaking trip with a 12 pack of beer and had only been drinking alcohol for about two hours.  After they loaded up there kayaks they went to the next bridge to wait for the victim to show up.  After he did not show up there they went to the next bridge, which was Hubley bridge, and waited there.  When he didn't show up there they called 911.
   I began to scan the area near the log jam.  The current was fairly swift near the log jam where the kayak was located.  We scanned the area for two days while rescue workers worked on cutting debris away from the log jam.  On Thursday May 27 at 8:50 am, the body was located floating approximately one mile downstream of the log jam.  On Friday May 28th I spoke to the Logan Co. Coroner's Office.  They advised me the autopsy showed cause of death to be drowning with no trauma to the body.  Toxicology test results will not be back for 6 to 8 weeks.

     On August 4, 2010 I obtained a copy of the toxicology report.  The report showed the victim had decomp fluid ethanol reading of 0.265%.
Middletown                    