A Colorado musician and his son missing after kayaking in Arkansas
DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) – A musician for a Colorado jam band and his son are missing after they went kayaking in Arkansas last week.
According to a post on the Facebook page for the band Lotus, percussionist Chuck Morris and his son went missing after kayaking on Beaver Lake near Fayetteville, Arkansas. The two haven't been heard from since.
Our partners at 9News stated, Thursday, March 16, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office in northwest Arkansas confirmed the kayaking trip. Their kayaks and a jacket belonging to one of them were found but the two remain missing.
A Facebook post released on March 21, revealed Morris and Charley’s investigation has become a recovery.
“We were all hoping for a miracle, but at this point, the search for Chuck and Charley has moved to a recovery. With help from the K9 team, there is a probable location on the lake, but logistical challenges including temperature, weather, and depth have prevented a recovery thus far. It is unknown how long these efforts may take,” the band explained.
Since the incident, the band has continued to reach out to the community through Facebook and started a GoFundMe to provide financial support to Morris’s immediate family.
In a recent post from the band’s Facebook page, Morris’s wife, Jenny Thompson, offered her thanks to the community amidst all the support:
Please know how grateful our family is for all the outpouring of support. Chuck absolutely loves the Lotus family and fans and was so inspired after coming home from this last tour. You make his life so meaningful and we are thankful for that. Please continue to hold my lovely husband and son in your hearts and prayers.
Jenny Thompson, wife of Morris
Our partners at 9News also spoke with Morris’s bandmate Jesse Miller.
”Chuck was just a really unique guy, unique musical mind, just really fun energy. Everybody got along with him. Everywhere we’d go, there would be fans and friends that hung out with Chuck and had great stories with him. So yeah, there was no one else like him," Miller told 9News.
9News also reports Morris has been with the band Lotus for more than 20 years. The group started in 1999 and gained recognition in Colorado in the jam band scene. They opened the Red Rocks concert season in 2021 with percussionist Morris by their side.
For more information about how you can support Chuck Morris and his son Charley visit the band’s GoFundMe page here.
