Remains believed to be those of a kayaker missing for more than a year have been discovered in Grand Teton National Park, according to the National Park Service. The remains are thought to belong to Wesley Dopkins of St. Paul, Minnesota, who disappeared on June 15, 2024, while paddling across Jackson Lake in a foldable kayak.
“Shortly after his disappearance, his kayak, paddle, and dry bag were discovered floating off Moose Island near Leeks Marina,” rangers said.
Despite extensive search efforts involving multiple agencies using foot patrols, aircraft, and watercraft at the time of his disappearance, Dopkins was not located.
Bruce’s Legacy, a nonprofit organization recognized for its specialized sonar technology, participated in the initial search and returned last week to continue looking for Dopkins. On Sunday, Sept. 7, members of Bruce’s Legacy detected something with their sonar equipment. Keith Cormican, director of the nonprofit, described the discovery process in a Facebook video.
“But with a storm rolling in,” Cormican said the team decided they “had to leave Wesley there that night.”
Cormican stated they informed park rangers about what they found on sonar and resumed their search the next morning.
“Wesley was a long ways from his last seen point,” Cormican said. “He was a mile and a half offshore where his partner had seen him last, and he was in 420 feet of water.”
Cormican called Dopkins’ recovery “one of the most difficult searches” he has conducted.
“It was extremely difficult to search out here, but it … you know, paid off,” Cormican said. “We were able to bring Wesley back.”
The Teton County Coroner’s Office will conduct an official identification of the remains. Rangers indicated that “based on the characteristics of the remains and the location where they were recovered, they are believed to be those of Dopkins.”
Dopkins’ mother spoke about her son following his disappearance. “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,” Kathryn Dopkins told the Pierce County Journal in July 2024.
