This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
Search and rescuers have recovered a body believed to be a Minnesota man who’s been missing for over a year in a lake in Grand Teton National Park.
Wesley Dopkins of St. Paul was last seen in June 2024, paddling a foldable Oru kayak across Jackson Lake. He was not wearing a life jacket. After his equipment was found floating off Moose Island near Leeks Marina, the park did an extensive search using boats, ground teams, dog teams and the Teton County Search and Rescue helicopter.
A nonprofit called Bruce’s Legacy, which specializes in searching for drowning victims with sonar, joined the search effort last fall. The Wisconsin-based group returned this past weekend, and on Sept. 7 located the remains within the search area about 420 feet underwater. At its deepest, Jackson Lake reaches 438 feet.
The Teton County Coroner’s Office will need to confirm the identity, but based on the location and other characteristics, the park says it appears to be Dopkins.
“The NPS [National Park Service] reminds all visitors that wearing a properly fitted life jacket is the most important step you can take to stay safe on the water. Even experienced paddlers and swimmers are at risk without one,” reads a park press release.
This July, a man from Texas drowned after getting caught in a storm while paddle boarding at Colter Bay. He also was not wearing a life jacket.
