The Butte County Sheriff's Office has confirmed the recovery of a second body in the search for two missing duck hunters in the Thermalito Afterbay area. According to ABC10, the discovery was made on Sunday morning by an individual walking along the shore, south of the Hwy. 162 bridge.
The two brothers, Andruw Cornett, 19, and Wesley Cornett, 17, were reported missing after a duck hunting trip went awry in December last year. Their mother, April Clark told ABC10 that the incident unfolded when Wesley's kayak capsized, prompting Andruw to call 911, but he decided there was no time to wait for help; and, went into the water in an attempt to save his brother.
A previous recovery on Dec. 31, 2024 was made, where the Butte County Sheriff's Office identified the body as that of Andruw Cornett. The second body, discovered at 9:12 a.m. Sunday, is believed to be Wesley Cornett, as per information released by the sheriff's office. However, they are still awaiting DNA analysis results for confirmation, reports KCRA.
In a related incident during the search, a Butte County Sheriff's Office pilot spotted one of the bodies from the air over the north side of the Afterbay, but the recovery was momentarily hampered by a drone flying too close. Officials urged the public that drones can severely impact the search efforts by sheriff's pilots in such critical situations. The marine unit and search and rescue team eventually managed to pull the body from the water, the sheriff's office described to KCRA.
The search for the brothers lasted several weeks, with multiple law enforcement agencies, rescue teams, and civilian diver Juan Heredia involved. The final recovery marks the end of the search.
