A 34-year-old Heppner man drowned after going underwater while kayaking and failing to resurface, and it took a two-day search effort involving a dive team to bring him home. Morrow County Sheriff’s Office officials reported recovering the body of Chance Cory Day on Oct. 20, two days after he vanished beneath the surface of the reservoir where he had been paddling.
The search began the evening of Oct. 18, when a 911 caller reported that a man had entered the water with a kayak and failed to resurface, according to the East Oregonian. The Morrow County Sheriff’s Office reported the following day that a search and recovery operation was underway at the reservoir in Heppner for a drowning victim, per the same outlet. Day, of Heppner, is said to have died on Oct. 18, according to his obituary posted on Legacy.com.
With the search stretching into a second day, Multnomah County personnel joined the effort. The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office’s river patrol unit and dive team assisted in the search and recovery operation, the East Oregonian reported. Day’s body was recovered on Oct. 20.
A Dive Team Built for Water Recoveries Statewide
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team is trained to perform water rescues and recoveries, as well as underwater evidence searches and vehicle recoveries, according to the agency’s own description of the unit. The team, part of the sheriff’s office’s river patrol program, assisted Morrow County in the search.
The sheriff’s office is responsible for more than 100 miles of waterways in Multnomah County, per the agency. In its social media post about the Heppner search, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude for the dedication of its dive team and for the partnerships among public safety agencies that made the cross-county recovery effort possible.
Community Mourns a Heppner Resident
Day’s obituary, posted on Legacy.com, identifies him as a 34-year-old Heppner resident who passed away on Oct. 18.
