WY WY - Wesley Dopkins, 43, visiting from MN, kayaking with a friend, the friend lost sight of him, kayak found, Grand Teton Natl Park, 15 Jun 2024

[GuyfromCanada]

UPDATE: Rangers are attempting to locate a 43-year-old male from St Paul, MN. Wesley Dopkins was last seen in Grand Teton National Park on June 15, 2024, in the mid-afternoon, paddling on Jackson Lake from Elk Island towards Waterfalls Canyon.

Dopkins was wearing a long sleeve blue shirt, red ball cap, and shorts.

Rescuers found Dopkin’s Oru folding kayak, paddle, and dry bag floating off Moose Island on Jackson Lake.

If you have any information or see Dopkins, please contact Grand Teton National Park tip line at 1-888-653-0009.

Photo of Wesley Dopkins provided by family.

https://www.facebook.com/GrandTetonNPS/posts/pfbid0ALBg6iwaigZAtZZ218aT4V2P8jZ3tDswJq6PiL4RozCkReBs7NcCMtiErh3SPCp4l

Authorities say Dopkins and his friend left Colter Bay around midday and headed to Waterfalls Canyon, on the west side of the lake. However, during the trip, the friend lost sight of Dopkins around 2 p.m. and was forced to return to Colter Bay due to high winds.

St. Paul man reported missing in Grand Teton National Park

A search was underway this past weekend for a kayaker from St. Paul reported missing at Grand Teton National Park.

www.fox9.com

 

[mlhenn]

https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/nation-world/national/article289366180.html

Rescuers found a missing man’s empty kayak and paddle while searching for him in Grand Teton National Park, rangers said.


Rangers are trying to find Wesley Dopkins, a 43-year-old man from St. Paul, Minnesota, who was last seen paddling in a lake in the park on Saturday, June 15, the Wyoming park said on Instagram.

Rangers searched the lake by boat and helicopter and found his empty Oru folding kayak, paddle, and his dry bag floating off Moose Island on the lake around 8 p.m., rangers said in an update on social media.

 

[mlhenn]

Rangers search for missing man who was last seen kayaking at Grand Teton National Park - East Idaho News

MOOSE, Wyo. — Rangers at a national park are searching for a missing 43-year-old man who was last seen kayaking. Wesley Dopkins of St. Paul, Minnesota, was seen on Saturday in the mid-afternoon kayaking with a friend at Grand Teton National Park. The two left Colter Bay with an intended...

www.eastidahonews.com

The missing man and a friend left Colter Bay with an intended destination to Waterfalls Canyon on the west shore of Jackson Lake.

After losing sight of Dopkins around 2 p.m., his friend tried to return to Colter Bay but was unable to due to high winds. Instead, he landed at Leeks Marina, where he reported the situation, a news release from the national park said.

 

[mlhenn]

Any updates?

 

[mlhenn]

Missing kayaker a cautionary tale for water users this Fourth of July

Grand Teton National Park rangers continue to search for a kayaker who disappeared more than two weeks ago when conditions became choppy on Jackson Lake.

www.jhnewsandguide.com

July 4
-heading toward Waterfalls Canyon on the west shore of the lake when 25 mph winds picked up.
-Whether Dopkins reached the canyon on the far side of Jackson Lake is unknown.

The kayakers brought only one personal floatation device, Jostad said, which Dopkins offered to his partner. Dopkins felt he was the stronger kayaker.

Some of Dopkins’ belongings — an Oru folding kayak, paddle and dry bag — were located the evening of June 15, six hours after he and his friend were separated. Jostad said it looked like the items had washed ashore.

“Evidence was found that the kayak did capsize,” she said.

Water temperatures that day were less than 45 degrees. The maximum depth of Jackson Lake is 438 feet.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“I can’t say more about what a wonderful son he was, and a gift and I just have to be grateful for what we had and the time that we had with him,” she said.

In time, she hopes to host a fun run in his name with his friends. She plans to sell his gaming equipment, per his wishes, with the funds going toward bike safety initiatives.

She and her husband grieve in different ways. Mark gardens and spends time in nature. For example, he went camping on his own for a few days.

“I just want people to know it’s okay to say you’re sad and that you’re grieving,” Kathryn said. “Of course we are going to be sad and missing Wes. Our culture runs away from death, but as oddly as it might sound, it’s so omnipresent, it’s always there. It can help guide us to what’s important and how to live – totally, courageously with all our hearts.”

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