Teen brothers were hunting Thermalito Afterbay when both ended up in the frigid water
BY MIKE STEVENS
THERMALITO—
Two teenage brothers went missing after their kayaks overturned while duck hunting at Thermalito Afterbay on December 14. On December 31, a Butte County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) pilot was flying in the area of the Thermalito Afterbay, as part of the continuous search for Andruw Cornett,19, and Wesley Cornett,17, when he spotted a body in the north side of the Afterbay.
The BCSO Marine Unit and Search and Rescue team immediately recovered the body which was positively identified as Andruw Cornett, and next-of-kin was been notified. During the recovery, the pilot was forced to land due to a drone flying extremely close to the BCSO helicopter.
According to the BCSO, Andruw called 911 at 8:33 a.m. on Dec. 14 and said Wesley’s kayak overturned and he was swimming away from it. He then told the 911 dispatcher he was going to enter the water to try and save his brother. Andruw was urged by the dispatcher to stay in his kayak but went in anyway.
At around 9 a.m, a BCSO deputy said he saw a kayak and possibly one of the brothers. Approximately 20 minutes later, a rescue boat found a kayak, paddles and waders and later pants, a wallet and a phone belonging to the brothers. Authorities said according to Andruw’s 911 call, neither he nor his brother were wearing life jackets. Over the course of the search, over 280 people from at least 21 different agencies took part in the effort.
The search for Wesley Cornett continued as a recovery situation with surface-search methods including aircraft, boats, on-shore vehicles and K9 units. His body was found on 22 days after the brothers went into the water on January 6. According to BCSO, the discovery of the second teen was made near the Highway 162 bridge not far from where a vigil was recently held for his brother.
BCSO spokesperson Megan McMann said a citizen walking along the road about four miles west of Oroville spotted the body and called authorities. DNA analysis positively identified the victim as Wesley Cornett, 17, the Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
