The search for country musician Craig Strickland ended tragically Monday after the crooner for the band Backroad Anthem was found dead at age 29.
A spokesperson for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol confirmed to the media that Craig Strickland’s body has been recovered and the family has since been notified.
“Strickland’s body was located within the original search area known as Bear Creek Cove,” authorities informed the public in a statement.
The late singer’s wife, Helen Strickland, took to twitter to grieve with fans. The recent widow also shed light on her husband’s harrowing final moments in an Instagram post.
“The night of the accident he had fought his way out of the water and up a hill before the stages of hypothermia set in. He experienced no pain in his final moments and simply felt like he was falling asleep,” she said.
She graciously thanked fans for their prayers and support.
“There was not a more peaceful way for him to go into the arms of our Lord,” she wrote, “and I know your prayers had a role in making that happen.”
Strickland was last seen alive seven days ago, and was declared missing Monday afternoon after his hunting companion, Chase Morland, was found dead.
The two had embarked upon a duck hunting trip for the weekend, ignoring the bad weather reports and warnings from people not to tempt fate by attempting to hunt during a storm. Morland had even ominously foreshadowed the tragedy on Twitter by writing, “In case we don’t come back, @BackroadCRAIG and I are going right through Winter Storm Goliath to kill ducks in Oklahoma. #IntoTheStorm.”
On Sunday, a search was launched when a boat the two men were reportedly using for the hunting trip, was found capsized.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Craig Strickland and Chase Morland’s family and friends during this devastating time. Two young lives cut too short by avoidable tragedy.
