UPPER MERION TOWNSHIP, PA — The search for a 70-year-old man who disappeared during a fishing trip on the Schuylkill River has ended tragically with the recovery of his body, according to local authorities. Upper Merion police were alerted by West Norriton police about the man’s failure to return from his outing. His Toyota RAV4 was located at the boathouse, prompting an immediate search.
Rescue teams, using boats and drones, searched areas around and downstream from the dam. The man’s kayak was discovered around 4 p.m. last Tuesday near the dam’s base in the river’s middle. Authorities also found some of his personal items snagged in a downed tree approximately 1,000 feet upstream from the boathouse.
On Tuesday afternoon, emergency crews were dispatched at approximately 2:42 PM to assist the 56th Police District in searching for a missing kayaker. The Upper Merion Township Fire & EMS, together with several mutual aid companies, conducted an extensive search of the waters.
The search operation lasted several hours, concluding around 8:30 PM when the teams were unable to find the kayker.