Friday 11:50 a.m.   The body of an 18 year old Salina teen who drowned early Tuesday morning has been recovered on the southwest side of the lake in the Boldt Bluff area according to Ellsworth County Sheriff Tracy Ploutz.

Derek Wheeler had been out with two other teens kayaking early Tuesday morning, when his kayak overturned.

Searchers and divers have been searching the lake since Tuesday morning.

11:40 a.m. Wednesday  Ellsworth County Sheriff Tracy Ploutz told Hays Post, “ We have a Highway Patrol Search Airplane flying over the lake and a Saline County Rescue team is dragging the lake.  Earlier we had a K-9 search and rescue team from Kansas City walk the shoreline. The dogs picked up a scent in an area near a boat ramp and we have had the rescue team dragging the lake there.”

5 a.m. Wednesday Crews at Kanopolis Lake have resumed looking for 18-year-old Derek Wheeler. The Salina teen went missing while kayaking early Tuesday morning.

 

Tuesday A search is underway including a boat from the Saline County Sheriffs Office looking for a teenager missing at Kanopolis Lake.

Ellworth County Sheriff Tracy Ploutz said three teens had been out kayaking between 1:00am and 2:00am Tuesday morning when one of the kayaks overturned. Ploutz says two of the teens went to assist the teen who turned over and all three kayaks turned over.

Two teens made it back to shore .

Sheriff Ploutz says the search in the area of the South Shore near the area of Sandy Plum.

No identity’s of the teens involved has been released.