Kayaker missing 9 days found dead 100 yards from Missouri lake boat ramp, sister says

A kayaker missing for more than a week in a Missouri lake was discovered to have drowned, authorities say.

Christopher Salmons, 41, left a note March 14 indicating “he was going to Truman Lake for a couple hours,” but he did not return, according to his sister, Stephanie Salmons.

She said in a Facebook post his boat, backpack and boots washed up on the lake’s shore within three days, but there was no initial sign of her brother.

But on March 23, nine days after he went missing, he was found dead “100 yards off the boat ramp in the cove,” his sister said.

An investigation revealed Christopher Salmons likely fell out of his kayak during high winds, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Salmons, who was not wearing a safety device, drowned in Warsaw “due to the temperature of the water,” authorities said.

Truman Lake is about a 105-mile drive southeast from Kansas City.

This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Kayaker missing 9 days found dead 100 yards from Missouri lake boat ramp, sister says."