Body of missing boater recovered from Lake Norman, searchers say

A body has been recovered after a day-long search for a missing boater on Lake Norman north of Charlotte, according to Cornelius-Lemley Fire Rescue.

The boater was identified as South Mecklenburg High student Keith Austin by WSOC, the Observer’s news partner. He was 16.

First responders began their search around 9 p.m. Saturday, July 1, in hopes of a rescue, officials said. It was believed the boater went missing around marker D9, but searchers eventually moved to the area near The Sandbar Lake Norman (D5).

The search became a recovery effort Sunday afternoon, as teams from Cornelius and Sherrills Ford endured “extremely rough lake conditions and brutal temperatures,” Cornelius-Lemley Fire Rescue wrote in a Facebook post.

Details of when the boater was reported missing have not been released.

Cornelius police and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are handling the investigation, officials said.

This story was originally published July 3, 2023 at 5:37 AM with the headline "Body of missing boater recovered from Lake Norman, searchers say."