Kayaker found dead in pond days after he went missing from friends, NH officials say

The body of a man who disappeared while kayaking with his friends at a New Hampshire pond has been found, officials said.

Caleb Sweatt, 33, of Lancaster, New Hampshire, was out paddling at Burns Pond, which is 20 feet deep, in Whitefield when his friends lost sight of him the evening of July 17, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game’s Law Enforcement Division. He wasn’t wearing a life vest, officials said.

One of Sweatt’s friends called 911 around 9:30 p.m. that night, leading to a massive search involving a state police drone, divers and several boats, the agency said in a July 18 news release. An empty kayak and personal gear were found floating on the pond, according to the agency.

Sweatt’s body was found the morning of July 19 and recovered by divers, officials said.

“On behalf of all the first responders that participated in the search I would like to extend my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Caleb Sweatt,” the agency said in a statement.

Whitefield is about 165 miles northwest of Boston.

This story was originally published July 19, 2023 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Kayaker found dead in pond days after he went missing from friends, NH officials say."

Julia Marnin

McClatchy DC

Julia Marnin covers courts for McClatchy News, writing about criminal and civil affairs, including cases involving policing, corrections, civil liberties, fraud, and abuses of power. As a reporter on McClatchy’s National Real-Time Team, she’s also covered the COVID-19 pandemic and a variety of other topics since joining in 2021, following a fellowship with Newsweek. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, she was raised in South Jersey and is now based in New York State.