It’s been nearly 7 months and a kayaker is still missing
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MOOSE, Wyoming — A 43-year-old man has been missing for nearly seven months and has still not been found.
Wesley Dopkins of St. Paul, Minnesota, was last seen on June 15. He was kayaking at Grand Teton National Park.
According to Grand Teton National Park spokeswoman Emily Davis, the search remains in a “limited continuous mode,” meaning rangers will search while on regular patrols in the area.
Davis told EastIdahoNews.com on Wednesday that a missing person investigation is ongoing, and rangers will follow up on any new information received. She added that in October, a private search and recovery organization hired by the missing kayaker’s family performed sonar subsurface searching of some of the lake where he was kayaking. The effort did not provide any leads.
In a previous statement, EastIdahoNews.com was told by park officials that Dopkins is presumed dead.
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Background
Dopkins was last seen in the mid-afternoon kayaking with a friend.
The two left Colter Bay with an intended destination to Waterfalls Canyon on the west shore of Jackson Lake.
After losing sight of Dopkins around 2 p.m., his friend tried to return to Colter Bay but could not due to high winds. Instead, he landed at Leeks Marina, where he reported the situation, according to a news release from the national park.
Rangers found his kayak, paddle, and dry bag floating off of Moose Island. Officials said Dopkins was not wearing a personal floatation device.
If you have any information, you are asked to contact the Grand Teton National Park tip line at 1-888-653-0009 or call the Teton Interagency Dispatch Center at (307) 739-3301.