Crews Recover Body Of Missing Fisherman

DUCHESNE, Utah — Search crews recovered the body of a Millcreek man who was reported missing Thursday night.

The body of Robert “Austin” Harker, 34, was found in the Lake Canyon area of Duchesne County, according to a Saturday statement from the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office.

The Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office initially received a report late Thursday night that Harker failed to return home from a fly-fishing trip as planned. Harker called his wife on Thursday, after he left, to tell her Solider Creek Dam Road, the route he intended to use, was closed and he would be going farther east to fish.

Search and Rescue teams began looking for Harker Friday morning with assistance from Utah Department of Public Safety and Utah National Guard helicopter crews. Later that night, a citizen found Harker’s pickup truck abandoned near Lake Canyon.

Harker’s body was found Saturday morning by a crew in the National Guard helicopter searching the area near his truck. The sheriff’s office said deputies found no evidence of foul play. The Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of death.

“Our condolences go out to the Harker and Cowart families and we appreciate their help and their strength during the search for Austin,” Duchesne County Sheriff Travis Tucker said in the prepared statement. “We ask the public and the press to respect the family’s request for privacy during this very difficult time.”