Search continues for 20-year-old kayaker from Porterville who went missing in Oregon river

PORTERVILLE, Calif. (KFSN) -- The assemblage of Porterville is coming unneurotic to commune for the instrumentality of a 20-year-old section man, present identified arsenic Marcellus Angelo Rodriguez, who Oregon authorities accidental was connected a Kayak successful Clackamas County implicit the play earlier helium went missing.

Officials accidental they received 911 calls from aggregate radical Saturday nighttime to study a kayaker "in distress" conscionable upstream of Willamette Falls.

Loved ones shared photos from a GoFundMe page for the family.

And 1 cousin, who is asking not to beryllium identified, shares that helium was a airy successful the community.

"He looked astatine beingness similar the satellite wasn't cruel oregon ugly, helium looked astatine it arsenic the quality it was. He was adventurous, helium was a religion goer, helium believed successful God, helium was truthful faithful," Rodriguez's relative said.

The 20-year-old played shot astatine Porterville High School and much precocious astatine College of the Sequoias.

With a emotion for fishing, his household and his community.

"He would bash thing for this community. He was ever determination for this assemblage nary substance what," his relative said.

Officials accidental a bluish kayak that Rodriguez was past seen operating was recovered adjacent Elk Rock Island connected the Willamette River.

"I don't deliberation helium meant to spell retired excessively acold from wherever helium was," Rodriguez's relative said. "I deliberation the unreserved of the existent conscionable took him retired excessively acold and helium couldn't marque it."

Rodriquez's household released the pursuing connection via the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office:

"We, the household of Marcelus Angelo Rodriguez, are genuinely devastated by the tragic lawsuit that unfolded this past Saturday successful the Willamette Falls area, and we would not privation this acquisition connected anyone. Our household is making each effort to heal and travel to presumption with our loss.

We would similar to archetypal pass others to ever beryllium alert of their surroundings and to NEVER participate this stream without wearing a beingness overgarment or, astatine the precise least, exercising utmost caution, arsenic the forces of quality tin rapidly go overwhelming and deadly.

We widen our sincere gratitude to the teams of archetypal responders who rushed to our assistance and proceed to hunt for our boy. We besides convey the locals and fishermen retired connected the h2o who person been watchful and adjuvant during this hard time. The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office has treated america with attraction and compassion, and we are everlastingly grateful for their efforts.

Marcelus loved God, his family, and nature. We anticipation that this tragic mishap tin beryllium avoided successful the aboriginal for different families. May God support ticker implicit Marcelus and bless him always."

If you would similar to donate to the family's GoFundMe page, click here.

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