OROVILLE, Calif. - Crews have been working tirelessly over the weekend in anongoing search for two teenage brothers who went missing at the Thermalito Afterbay near Oroville. This marks the tenth day since the disappearance of 17-year-old Wesley Cornett and 19-year-old Andruw Cornett. The brothers were out duck hunting when the incident occurred.
According to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, Wesley fell from his kayak and Andruw jumped in to save him, prompting both brothers to vanish. Since then, the focus has been on locating them. Over the weekend, search crews discovered one of the brothers' wallets near the water. On Friday, divers from Stanislaus County found Wesley's jacket, phone, and shotgun shells, but neither brother has been accounted for.
The search teams have combated numerous challenges, including stormy weather conditions, complicate their efforts. Approximately 250 searchers from 21 different organizations have been scouring the Thermalito Afterbay, which spans 4,300 surface acres with 17 miles of shoreline, since the brothers went missing on December 14.
'Thousands of acres have been searched by boat, by ground, and by raft,' said Trevor Skaggs with the BCSO Search and Rescue team. Meanwhile, heavy rains and winds led to about 5,000 residents losing power and created additional hardships for the searchers.
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office has mobilized multiple agencies for this extensive operation, utilizing high-tech tools, including sonar, to navigate the debris and dense weeds obstructing visibility at the bottom of the reservoir. 'The most difficult thing rescuers have to do is get through the weeds at the base of Thermalito Afterbay,' noted Jeff Eggleson of Big Valley Divers.
Meanwhile, the boys' mother, April Clark, is facing her own battle. She has established a GoFundMe page titled 'Help April Clark Find and Honor Her Sons,' aiming to raise funds to assist search efforts and, sadly, plan for potential funeral costs. 'My two handsome sons went hunting... and neither one of my boys have been seen since Saturday. Andruw is a hero in my eyes,' Clark wrote, highlighting her anguish and determination.
'This is hard for me to write as I'm beyond broken,' she continued. 'This is a freak accident my family and I are trying to wrap our heads around.' The emotional toll on Clark is immense, as she also has four daughters at home to care for during this trying time.
Authorities have shifted the tone of the search, indicating it may now be classified as more of a recovery mission due to the extended time since the brothers' disappearance. The community remains engaged, providing support to the family as they navigate this harrowing situation. Each day, hope is intertwined with despair as search teams continue their work, sifting through the murky waters for any sign of Wesley and Andruw Cornett.
Through the steady efforts of dozens of volunteers and local agencies, the search for the missing brothers has become emblematic of community resilience and the lengths families go to find their loved ones. Today, as search efforts persist against the odds, the spirit of hope lingers among the searchers, though the path forward feels more uncertain than ever.
