The wife of Lotus drummer Chuck Morris says her husband and son likely drowned after the pair disappeared while kayaking on a lake in Arkansas last week.
The 47-year-old percussionist and their 20-year-old son, Charlie, went kayaking on Beaver Lake on March 16. The cold and choppy conditions on the water were “for all intents and purposes a perfect storm for drowning,” wife and mother Jennifer Thompson told ABC News.
“What saved me from the beginning of this is that they died together; they were together,” Thompson said.
She recalled how the family thought it would be a good idea for Morris and Charlie to go kayaking before a storm hit while she and their daughter went into town. However, when she returned, the men were nowhere to be found.
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Chuck Morris and his son, Charlie, are presumed to have drowned after the pair disappeared while kayaking at Beaver Lake in Arkansas last week. (GoFundMe)
Thompson said that at first, she thought her husband and son “must be having a great time,” but then went into “crisis mode,” calling the local police for help.
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office immediately launched a search for the missing father and son. During the search, officials found a coat and two kayaks in the water but no signs of Morris or Charlie, FOX31 Denver reported.
The band Lotus said that the search for Chuck Morris and his son has turned to recovery days after the pair went missing on Beaver Lake, a reservoir in northwest Arkansas. (C Flanigan/FilmMagic)
Thompson said officials believe one of the men fell into the water and began struggling under his wet clothing, which prompted the other man to jump in to help. The pair is believed to have drowned after cadaver dogs hit near the site where the men disappeared, she said.
Chuck Morris is a percussionist in the electronic jam band Lotus. (FilmMagic/FilmMagic for Okeechobee)
The band announced Tuesday on Twitter that the search for Morris and his son has moved to a recovery.
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“We were all hoping for a miracle, but at this point, the search for Chuck & Charley has moved to a recovery,” the band tweeted. “With help from K9 teams, there is a probable location on the lake, but logistical challenges including temp, weather, and depth have prevented a recovery thus far.”
It is unknown how long the recovery efforts will take, the band said.
The band had just finished a five-week tour, and its next tour date was set for March 31 in Florida, according to the band’s website.
Bandmate Luke Miller said that while the band may need a break following the incident, they will keep playing in honor of Morris.
