Search focuses on one area for missing kayaker | News

WHITE CO, IL (WFIE)- We have new information on the search for 55-year-old Wilfred Gerald Nobles who went missing Saturday while kayaking on the Little Wabash River in White County. Sunday night, his daughter tells 14 News, she believe's her father's body has been located.

We spoke to Nobles' daughter Sabrina Harms on Sunday, and she says search and rescue teams believe they have found Nobles' body, but she says the river conditions are such that they can't get to him yet.

And while the family waits for the recovery of the man they call Jerry, Harms says they're simply hoping and praying for the best.

Illinois Conservation Police say Nobles, of Mt. Vernon, went missing at about 12:30 Saturday afternoon. following a kayaking accident on the Little Wabash River.

"We've started sonar operations and we've also got a search and rescue team on the water," said Illinois Conservation Officer Jerry Hiller.

Hiller says Nobles disappeared, after his kayak struck a log jam in the river and capsized. Hiller says the other kayakers who were with Nobles tried to find him among the log jam, but were unsuccessful.

"The current caught him and took him under," Harms told 14 News. "Right now, they have located him, but they can't recover him right now because of the condition of the water."

Hiller says search and rescue sonar equipment detected something under the log jam, that they believe is Nobles' body. But with a high water level, Hiller says it's too dangerous to send a dive team in, at this time.

"I work for Posey County dispatch. I'm their director there. We contacted Marrs Township and asked them to come over to dive," Harms noted. "And they tried to dive in the water conditions last night to try to recover him and they weren't able to."

Hiller says the water level is not expected to change until Wednesday at the earliest. Until then, no one can be sure that the sonar image is that of Nobles' body. But while Nobles' family says they are hoping for the best, a sign outside of their family-owned Dean's Diner indicates they are bracing for the worst.

"Hopefully, we can get some closure to the family," Hiller said.

Hiller says he believes the river conditions should be calm enough by Wednesday for rescue teams to break-up the log jam and recover whatever the sonar equipment detected.

We will, of course, monitor the situation, and give updates as we receive further details.

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