Kayaking turns grisly when a man’s body surfaces in scenic river, NC sheriff says

A day paddling the Dan River State Trail turned into a criminal investigation when kayakers stumbled onto a body in the water, according to investigators in North Carolina.

The grisly discovery was made around 5 p.m. Sunday near the Bethlehem Church Road boat ramp south of Eden, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office reported in a May 11 news release.

“Deputies responded to a report of a possible person in the river near the bank from individuals kayaking,” the sheriff’s office said. “Upon arrival, it was discovered that there was a deceased male located in the river.”

Swift water rescue personnel from multiple departments were needed to recover the body, officials said.

On May 12, the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as 48-year-old Jerome Jermaine Kellam of Eden, who was reported missing to the Eden Police Department on May 11, police said.

It is suspected he drowned, officials said.

The Dan River is a popular attraction for paddle boaters in North Carolina, with 90 miles of the waterway designated as the Dan River State Trail. The trail starts at the Virginia state line and covers Surry, Stokes and Rockingham counties.

Eden is about a 105-mile drive northwest from downtown Raleigh.

This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 1:43 PM with the headline "Kayaking turns grisly when a man’s body surfaces in scenic river, NC sheriff says."