The body of the missing kayaker was located around 9:30 a.m. in a section of the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River.  The victim, Isaac Ludwig, 27, from Hartford, Tenn., was located by two kayakers who were not part of the search team, but running the river on their own.   The search effort involved Great Smoky Mountains National Park Rangers and Gatlinburg Fire Department’s Swift Water Rescue Team.
The male subject was reported missing around 7:45 p.m. Tuesday by his two companions.  It was previously reported that the group’s plan was to paddle to the Chimney Tops Picnic Area, but that was not the case.  The group entered the water near the Chimney Tops Trailhead planning to run rapids on the lower section of the Road Prong, a tributary to the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River.  The plan was to take out before they reached the West Prong.  Ludwig’s companions, Jared Seiler, Gladwyne, Pa, 23, and James Donahue, Nashville, 24, returned to shore shortly after the put in when they realized how swift the water was, but the victim continued downstream.   The body was found about 1,000 feet downstream from the confluence of the Road Prong and the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River.
The stream level has dropped about 2 feet since yesterday evening and the victim was found above the water entangled in vegetation.   The site where the body was located is extremely rugged and heavily vegetated and is not near a trail.  Rescue personnel will have to cross difficult terrain to recovery the body and expect that it will take hours to do so.
For information, contact Bob Miller 865/436-1207 or Nancy Gray 865/436-1208.

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