Body found in Ohio River was that of teen missing since January
The body of a Prospect, Kentucky, teenager who went missing while kayaking has been found, a coroner’s office confirmed Tuesday.
On Monday, the body of 16-year-old Jacob Stover was found in the Ohio River near the Newburgh Dam, in southwestern Indiana, by a tugboat operator, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ law enforcement division told WLKY.
The Warrick County coroner identified the body and said an autopsy would be conducted Wednesday. Jacob’s family posted a message to a Facebook group dedicated to his search just as the coroner’s release came out. It said, in part:
“We are overcome with the grief of losing our son. We are grateful to have resolution in this search made possible by the tremendous support from the community and heroic volunteer efforts during the past two agonizing months.
“While hope remained in our hearts that we might find Jake alive, as the days continued, our prayers and efforts turned to recovering our son. While the sadness is overwhelming, we are profoundly grateful for the support of our extended family and friends, our co-workers and the strangers we never had the chance to meet.”
On Jan. 10, Jacob left his Prospect home to embark on a kayaking trip at Cox Park. The kayak was later found a half-mile past the Falls of the Ohio on the Indiana side of the river, but there was no sign of him.
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Stephanie has been telling stories her whole life. Her interest in the written word started with short stories and journal entries about run-ins with classroom bullies as a child and matured to writing for her high school newspaper over the years. She has written and edited for The Tennessean, Augusta Chronicle and American City & County.
