Missing Hunter Found Dead Months After He Got Swept Away While Trying to Cross River in an Inner Tube
An extensive search at the time did not yield his location
Months later, his body was found in the Swift ReservoirThe remains of a 72-year-old man who went missing last November while hunting near a river in Washington state have been recovered.
The Skamania County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that authorities received a call on Sunday, June 22, about a body that was found in the Swift Reservoir, 15 miles east of Cougar. Deputies and a coroner traveled to the location by boat and recovered the remains, which were identified as belonging to David Brinkmeyer.
On Nov. 13, Brinkmeyer tried to cross the Muddy River in an inner tube through a rope system to access his hunting camp, according to authorities.
'The tube overturned and Brinkmeyer was swept away in the fast-moving water,' authorities continued.
Despite an extensive search by the sheriff's office using air assets, ground searchers and rope teams, Brinkmeyer was not found and a decision was made to end search efforts.
Brinkmeyer's remains were eventually recovered about 12.5 miles away from where he was last seen.
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In an interview last November with Fox affiliate KPTV, Jennifer Ellis, Brinkmeyer's daughter, called her father a 'hero' and a 'good man.'
'He was really excited to go up elk hunting again he didn't think he'd be able to do that at 72,' added Shelby Fry, Brinkmeyer's granddaughter. 'He prepared for months — I have so many voicemails from him gearing up.'
Brinkmeyer's voicemail message to the family, which was later shared with KPTV, detailed his experiences in the outdoors before his disappearance.
'I'm having a good time and I'm actually thinking about you every time I put this Shelby Lynn jacket on. Alright, hope to bring you home some elk meat,' Brinkmeyer could be heard saying in the recording.
After his body was found, Ells told the outlet that she felt "relief that we don't have to have nightmares about dad anymore."
She added, "Now we can grieve."
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