A Homer man was found dead early Monday morning after not returning from a kayaking trip on Sunday.
Homer Police Chief Mark Robl says that 72-year-old Kenneth Jones’ son called police Sunday evening to report his father missing.
Jones, who had set out from Beluga Slough in his kayak for a routine paddle, had not shown up at his destination of nearby Mariner Park.
“Immediately upon hearing this news, the Homer Police Department launched a search of the beach areas, we notified the Coast Guard and the Alaska State Troopers. The Coast Guard responded with a helicopter which searched our local area or several hours. His body was not found until approximately 2:30 in the morning when a local fishing vessel came across it in the area of Anchor Point," said Robl.
Searchers found Jones’ body about one mile from his kayak, said Robl and both were floating approximately a half-mile off shore.
Jones was a longtime commercial fisherman. Jones’ body is being transported to the state medical examiner’s office for an autopsy.