A grim discovery was made at Bartlett Lake over the weekend when the body of 46-year-old Richard Myers, known to friends as Richie Josef, was retrieved near the blazing Wildcat Fire, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. Rescue crews responded to an emergency call after Myers vanished on Saturday while attending a local LGBTQ+ camping event called the Bartlett Bash.
Myers was last seen around 4 p.m. on Saturday before friends reported him missing; despite the ongoing wildfire evacuations, Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies conducted a thorough search with the aid of boats, sonar, and aerial support as the fire reportedly did not impede their efforts. McKenzie Philbrick, a friend of the deceased, directed deputies to the area Myers was last sighted, sharing that he was walking between campsites at the time he disappeared and appeared to be "partying," according to Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez of the MCSO in a statement obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix.
The search operation encountered a temporary setback when nightfall on Saturday hampered visibility, but resumed with vigour the following day culminating in the discovery of Myers' body. Deputies made use of sonar technology and observed abnormalities in the lake, which led them to employ a remotely operated vehicle to locate the body; the body was subsequently retrieved and is now in the custody of the medical examiner as reported by 12News.
Initial observations by the MCSO suggest that Myers sustained scratches on his ears and redness on his left eye that he might have received from an accidental fall while trying to navigate a rock formation along the water, this detail arose from the investigation as deputies have ruled out foul play but suspect that alcohol may have played a role in the unfortunate incident, Sgt. Enriquez told 12News. The case remains under ongoing investigation to fully determine the circumstances that led to Myers' untimely death.
